Firm fined £25,000 over man's death

A SCOTS engineering firm has been fined over £25,000 after a young employee was electrocuted by a live power cable.

Trainee surveyor Russell Donald, 20, was killed as he crossed under a high-voltage power line carrying a metal pole.

His body was found by his father, Brian, who went to look for him after he failed to return home from work.

Glasgow-based engineering firm WA Fairhurst & Partner was charged with failing to instruct Mr Donald that it was inappropriate to use a long surveying pole in the vicinity of electric lines.

The firm later admitted that it had breached the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Stonehaven Sheriff Court heard the tragedy happened on 1 February, 2007, at Mcintosh Plant Hire in Birchmoss, near Echt, Aberdeenshire.

Mr Donald's bosses were notified that he was missing but could not locate him. His father later went to look for him.

Neil Shand, prosecuting, told the court: "This case came about as a result of a death in the course of employment. The deceased was a 20-year-old engineer who was surveying the locus and got electrocuted when carrying a pole under electric wires."