Mineshaft death could have been prevented, inquiry rules

A sheriff found Ms Hume’s death may have been avoided and highlighted several “defects” in the systems of working which contributed to her death.

Among them was a finding that Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service and the police had “inadequate knowledge” of the range of potential resources available to help in a rescue operation.

Mrs Hume, 44, died after falling down the disused mine shaft in Galston, Ayrshire, in July 2008.

A fatal accident inquiry into her death was held at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court and the sheriff’s findings were released today.

The inquiry found that Mrs Hume, from Galston, could have been in the mine shaft for up to eight hours before she was brought to the surface. By that stage she was “profoundly hypothermic”.

She later died at Crosshouse hospital in Kilmarnock.

Sheriff Desmond Leslie found that her death could have been avoided if certain “reasonable precautions” had been taken.

He also outlined a series of defects in the system of working which contributed to the death, or the accident which led to Mrs Hume’s death.

The sheriff said there was “inadequate knowledge by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service and the police of the range of potential rescue resources available to assist in a rescue operation and consequent failure to communicate with these resources”.

There was also a “lack of understanding and familiarity” by rescue personnel of the potential for use of the differing medical and rescue equipment supplied to the rescue and emergency services.

He further cited a lack of multi-ability training for emergency services workers and, in particular, a lack of advanced first-aid training among fire and rescue service personnel.

In addition, there was an “over-reliance” on the delegation of rescue functions by the fire service and “inadequate” pre-planning for a mine shaft rescue.