Schoolboy killed after falling through farm roof

Date:

26 August 2010

Release No:

SCO/177/10

A Moray farming partnership was yesterday (25 August 2010) fined £13,500 at Elgin Sheriff Court following an incident where a 13-year-old boy fell through the roof of a farm building and sustained serious injuries from which he later died.

The incident happened on 21 August 2006. Austin Irvine, who was the stepson of the farm's junior partner, was watching the gutter in the valley between the cattle shed and feed passage roofs being cleared.

He was raised up to roof level in the bucket of a tractor by his stepfather and the boy walked onto the roof. As he walked across the roof he stepped onto a skylight which collapsed. He fell through the skylight, around four-four and a half metres (approximately 13 feet) to the ground and suffered serious injuries from which he later died.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident revealed that there was no proper edge protection on the roof and no measures in place to prevent falls through the corrugated asbestos cement sheeting which made up the roof.

John Irvine and Son, of Inverlochy Farm, Tomintoul, Ballindalloch, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Following the case, HSE Inspector Ann Poyner said:

"This tragedy should never have happened and could have been prevented if John Irvine and Son had properly assessed the risks of working on a fragile roof and taken steps to prevent falls through the roof.

"Farmers and those working in agriculture frequently carry out roof work, yet fail to appreciate the risks involved are always substantial. If possible, avoid going on fragile roofs and always keep children clear of high risk activities. If you are planning this type of work should always make sure you have the right equipment to ensure that the work area is strong enough to work from and that guard rails are in place at open edges and suitable access is provided."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. In Scotland the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has sole responsibility for the raising of criminal proceedings for breaches of health and safety legislation.
3. Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states that "It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety."

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