Scaffolding brother's death was 'avoidable'

A SHERIFF has ruled that the death of a workman who fell 30 feet from scaffolding while working with his brother was "entirely avoidable".

Kenneth McLean and his brother Brian McLean were carrying out rough casting at a construction site in Partick in October 2005 when Kenneth fell to his death.

The 53-year-old had been unloading items on the fifth level of the scaffolding when he leaned on a bracket that was insecurely fastened and fell over the side.

Brian McLean, now 60, went to see what was delaying his brother but there was no sign of him. The workman then looked down and saw his brother lying on the ground.

Kenneth McLean, of Whitehill Street, Glasgow, was rushed to Glasgow's Western Infirmary but died from head and chest injuries on 13 October 2005.

The men were working at a PBL Construction Ltd site at the time of the accident and Sheriff John McCormick criticised the firm's health and safety procedures.

In a written judgment, Sheriff McCormick said: "This is an accident which was entirely avoidable.

"If proper consideration and instruction had been given so that work could be undertaken by tradesmen at the fifth level, the accident might have been avoided."

The men were rough casting newly built blocks of flats at Crathie Drive in Partick for Partick Housing Association when the accident took place.

PBL Construction were also criticised for failing to ensure that only authorised scaffolders were allowed to alter the scaffolding and that employees and contractors knew that the hoist was not to be used at level five.

PBL Construction has now gone into liquidation.