Inquiry into death of worker with Covid to consider safety measures on oil rig

The first discretionary fatal accident inquiry to be launched into the death of a worker with Covid-19 will examine safety measures on an offshore oil rig, a hearing has been told.

A preliminary hearing for an inquiry into the death of offshore worker Donald Singer, 66, took place at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Friday.

Mr Singer died on May 4, 2020, at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after being airlifted from the Ninian Southern Platform off Shetland.

The crane operator, from Aberdeen, was removed from the platform by a search and rescue helicopter on April 3, 2020 after his Covid symptoms worsened.

The hearing was told that the Covid measures in the airport Mr Singer used will be looked at by the FAI, as well as the medical treatment provided offshore.

The court heard his employers have indicated they will not be participating in the inquiry.

Catriona Dow, for the Crown, said: “This is a discretionary inquiry.

“At the start of the pandemic, the then lord advocate instructed that any suspected Covid death did not need to be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

“The lord advocate kept measures under review, and instructed that two categories of presumed Covid deaths should be reported – people who might have contracted the disease in employment, and residents of care homes.

“More than 6,000 individual deaths have been reported.”

Mr Singer’s son Richard Singer, brother Gordon Singer and nephew James Clark attended the virtual hearing.

The Health and Safety Executive had legal representation at the hearing, along with offshore operator CNR International.

Ms Dow said: “The Crown considered issues to be examined include Covid measures in place in the airport he travelled from, and the medical treatment he received offshore.”

She said the family have made the Crown aware “of concerns they have about the circumstances of Mr Singer’s death”.

She added: “There was a medic provided on the platform, it may be there are concerns about the medical treatment.”

A further preliminary hearing has been set for February 25, in front of Sheriff McCrossan.