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Fatal accident Inquiry told of scaffolder fall through corroded grating

An FAI in Scotland has heard of how a scaffolder fell 39m from an oil rig docked at Invergordon. He stepped on to corroded grating in November 2008.

Lewis MacDonald, 35, was working on the Ocean Princess as part of a team refurbishing the semi-submersible rig docked in the Cromarty Firth.

A scaffolding barrier was set up around the corroded grating, while wooden planks were placed on the majority of the exposed patch. The court heard that Mr MacDonald had been in the process of adjusting scaffolding when he stepped on to an uncovered part of the grating.

The BBC report that HSE Inspector John Sutherland said he would not have expected an experienced scaffolder such as Mr MacDonald to “have exposed himself to the risk of falling”. He said the workman had gone into an area he considered to have been adequately made safe by barriers. The inquiry continues.

This article was posted on 24th August 2010 in ALL LATEST NEWS.
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