West Lothian company fined £72,000 after worker crushed by stone saw

A company has been fined £72,000 for serious health and safety breaches which led to a worker being crushed to death by a 2.6-tonne stone saw.

Maintenance engineer John Duncan died after the giant saw he had been dismantling toppled over at Tradstocks yard near West Calder in West Lothian.

The 39-year-old had been working alone at the time.

Tradstocks, one of the UK’s major suppliers of natural stone for homes, landscapes and construction, pleaded guilty at Livingston Sheriff Court to exposing workers to risk of injury.

The firm admitted that the health and safety breaches caused Mr Duncan to be struck by the saw to his serious injury as a result of which he died of “traumatic asphyxia”.

Mr Duncan and his father, also John, had lowered the massive saw from its steel frame the day before the tragedy.

Depute Fiscal Gail Adair said Mr Duncan Jr later went to a shed housing the saw to complete the job on his own.

She said: “The machine was top-heavy and was not adequately propped up and secured and, because the saw had a high centre of gravity, it was not very stable.”

Kevin Duguid, defending, told the court discussions had taken place with a Tadstocks director about how the saw was to be disassembled.

But the father and son – who had 60 years’ experience between them – had been left to get on with the complex task without guidance.

He said a broken ladder had been found near Mr Duncan. Mr Duguid said: “It’s unclear as to the use or intended use of the ladder at the side of the body.

“Perhaps he used it to it to climb up and to loosen the shackle which had been used with the crane but it remains unclear and that would be unrelated to the task with which he was expected to be engaged.”

He added that the company had a previously blameless record and had co-operated fully with the investigation.