East Ayrshire council fined over electrician's death

A council has been fined £56,000 over the death of an electrician who was killed when a work platform collapsed in a school gym hall.

Robert McGill suffered severe brain injuries after the accident at Kilmarnock Academy last April.

East Ayrshire Council admitted a charge under health and safety legislation.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard that the council has since amended its working and training procedures.

Sheriff Seth Ireland said the level of fine was not to be taken as a value on the life of Mr McGill.

He added: "The loss of Mr McGill to his family must be regarded as being beyond any monetary figure and be priceless."

The court heard that the council failed to make "a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees".

Mr McGill, who had worked as an electrician for the local authority for 18 years, fell to the ground from a mobile elevated work platform, known as an airlift, as he worked to repair overhead lighting at the school.

The court heard he and another council worker were using the airlift without stabilisers.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive following the accident found that no formal training had been given to any of the electricians working for the council expected to use the airlift.

The sheriff recognised that since the accident East Ayrshire Council had instructed and put in place "a most thorough and extensive healthy and safety review".