Port firm fined after worker suffers fatal crush injuries

£300,000 fine for Clydeport following death of maintenance engineer at Hunterston Coal Terminal

GLASGOW-based Clydeport Operations Ltd have been fined for safety failings after a worker suffered fatal crush injuries at their Hunterston Coal Terminal site, in Ayrshire.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard how, on 15 February 2015, 22-year-old Craig Logan, a maintenance engineer employed by Clydeport, was working on the north unloader crane alongside an experienced crane operator.

Whilst attempting to fix a problem with the cab of the crane, Mr Logan became trapped between drive motors fitted on top of the cab and cross beams on the boom of the crane.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that the fatality resulted from failures by Clydeport to properly risk assess operations to free the crane cab when it became stuck and to have a safe system of work in place for this.

Clydeport Operations Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and were fined £300,000.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Russell Berry said: ‘This tragic loss of a young life came about due to Clydeport Operations Ltd’s continued failure to deal with a problem with the cab sticking on an unloader crane on the jetty at Hunterston Coal Terminal.

‘The company repeatedly put its maintenance engineers at risk when they had to retrieve the crane cab when it stuck out on the boom of the crane.

‘The lack of risk assessment for retrieving the cab led to an ad hoc unsafe system of work being developed, which continued for approximately eight months up until the time of Mr Logan’s death.’