Firm fined £860,000 after worker crushed to death at Shetland wind farm

An engineering company has been fined £860,000 after a worker was crushed to death at a wind farm site in Shetland.

Liam MacDonald, from Tain, died on June 5, 2022, while removing dried concrete from a skip at the Viking site operated by BAM Nuttall on Upper Kergord.

His mother has said the 23-year-old was “full of hopes and dreams” and is now missed “beyond words.”

Mr MacDonald, an agency worker who started working on the site on May 4, was using a hammer to chip away the concrete when the skip’s bale arm fell on top of him.

He was found motionless with the bale arm pinned against his chest, which led to an alarm being raised at the site.

Liam MacDonald was found motionless with the skip’s bale arm pinned against his chest, which led to an alarm being raised at the site. Health and Safety Executive

Colleagues performed CPR on him before administering a defibrillator, but he was pronounced dead at the scene by the emergency services.

Jackie Randell, the investigating inspector from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), found the principal contractor BAM Nuttall failed to secure the bale arm from falling.

The HSE investigation found the company had failed to identify the risks of the bale arm falling and failed to put in place a safe system of work to ensure that anyone using, maintaining or cleaning the skip would be protected from harm.

Wendy Robson, Mr MacDonald’s mother, said: “Liam loved life, his family and friends.

“He was just at the start of his adult life, still finding who he was, and full of hopes and dreams.

“We have been robbed of having Liam here today, and in all our tomorrows, and in sharing those dreams with him. We will never meet the children he so wanted to have one day.

“We can’t adequately describe who Liam was, and what he means to us. We love and miss him beyond words.”

BAM Nuttall Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The company was fined £800,000 with a £60,000 victim surcharge at Inverness Sheriff Court on December 18, 2024.

Jackie Randell said: “This was a tragic incident which led to the death of a young man. Our thoughts remain with Mr MacDonald’s friends and family at this time.

“BAM Nuttall had failed in its duty to ensure the safety of their workforce. This prosecution should serve as a reminder for all contractors to implement suitable risk assessments and safe systems of work.

“We thoroughly investigated this incident, with our findings identifying that BAM Nuttall had failed in its duty to ensure the safety of their workforce. This prosecution should serve as a reminder for all contractors to implement suitable risk assessments and safe systems of work.

“Up to date safety information provided by manufacturers of work equipment must be reviewed as part of this risk assessment process. It is of crucial importance that safety information from manufacturers is highlighted to the workforce and rigorous monitoring is carried out to ensure that everyone is kept safe.”

Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “The death of Liam MacDonald could have been prevented if BAM Nuttall Limited had suitably and sufficiently assessed the risks involved in the maintenance and cleaning of the concrete column skip at the site.

“Their failure to identify the hazards represented by the skip’s bale arm and ensuring that it was secured prior to the cleaning operation beginning led to Mr MacDonald’s death.

“My thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”

BAM Nuttall Ltd has been contacted for comment.