Firm fined £200,000 for safety failings that led to Fife man’s death during Tay Rail Bridge work
ByGraeme Ogston
A Fife father of two working on the Tay Rail Bridge died due to a string of health and safety failings by his employers, a court has heard.
David Rodger died as a result of exposure to toxic vapours during reprinting work in a pier leg of the bridge in January 2010.
Industrial services company Xervon Palmers Ltd was fined £200,000 today after admitting failing to identify the area being worked in by Mr Rodger as a confined space and therefore placing employees at risk of exposure to concentrations of chemicals far in excess of the workplace exposure limit.
The court heard that Mr Rodger, who was 44, was discovered by colleagues lying face down with his spray gun next to him.
Sheriff Lorna Drummond said there had been “numerous failings that resulted in the loss of life of Mr Rodger.”
She added: ”The death was reasonably foreseeable given the number of failings.
“There is one aggravating factor, which is failure to heed warnings by employees about ventilation arrangements and night shift rescue arrangements.”
