The death of a man who fell from a cherry picker “could have been avoided” if protective measures had been applied, it has been decreed.
Michael McArthur suffered catastrophic injuries after a coach hit his arm on the raised platform where he was while performing decorating work on a set of windows.
The 26-year-old was thrown from the platform basket and fell on the road during the September 2018 incident, suffering serious injuries that resulted in his death.
E-mailThe platform had been set up to allow work in windows. e-mail
The platform had been raised to the upper levels of a house on Balkerach Street in Doune.
His family received more than £ 300,000 in damages last year.
Kevin Bowie, the only director of precision decorating services based in Denny, has now been sentenced for health and safety failures.
It was concluded that there were no adequate measures to effectively segregate the cherry picker from traffic on the street.
It was also found that Bowie did not ensure that the work being carried out at height was properly planned, properly supervised, and that it had been carried out in a manner that was, “to the extent reasonably possible.” safe.
E-mailThe tour bus hit the arm of the cherry picker. e-mail
The director has received a return order from the community forcing him to be under supervision for 18 months.
He has also been sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid work after being found guilty of non-compliance with the 2005 Work Height Regulations and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Alistair Duncan, head of the Crown Office’s Health and Safety Research Unit, said: “This was a tragic incident that could have been avoided if Kevin Bowie had put in place the appropriate protective measures to protect his employee Michael McArthur.
“Falling heights are often the leading cause of death and serious injury to workers in the construction industry.
“I hope this prosecution reminds other employers that breach of their obligations can have serious and tragic consequences and that they will be held accountable for their mistakes.”