Food Process Engineering Limited has been fined £50,000 following the death of Steven Tervit, a 32-year-old father who was thrown from a scissor lift at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland in Renfrew on 9 November 2023. The incident occurred while Mr Tervit was dismantling a cleanroom, and he died the next day from a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures.
Details of the Incident
Mr Tervit was working at a height of approximately four metres on the scissor lift, removing wall panels from a cleanroom. The remaining panels collapsed and struck the platform, catapulting him onto the concrete floor. He was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where medics found he had suffered a traumatic brain injury, rib fractures, lung contusions, and fractures to his right thigh bone and left shin bone. He died in hospital the following day.
HSE Investigation Findings
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed that Food Process Engineering Limited, based in Hamilton, failed to properly assess and manage the risks associated with dismantling a structure it had not originally built. The cleanroom, a steel-framed structure with polyurethane panels standing 6.1 metres tall, had its roof removed, leaving the wall panels without sufficient lateral support. The company's risk assessment and method statement did not address the danger of unexpected collapse due to structural instability.
According to the HSE, the company's method statement stated that 'A-frame' props or supports should be fitted where needed, but no such props were on site or in use at the time of the accident. The firm conducted visual checks of the cleanroom's exterior and assumed it had been built to industry standard, a dangerous assumption given the inherent risk of hidden defects in structures erected by other parties.
Failure to Communicate Risks
The company also failed to share its risk assessment and method statement with the workers performing the task, leaving them inadequately informed about the dangers. The firm pleaded guilty to failing to provide a duty of care, safe equipment, and proper training to its employee. In addition to the £50,000 fine, the company was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £3,750 at Paisley Sheriff Court.
HSE Inspector's Statement
HSE inspector Amna Doherty commented: "The failings of this company cost a much-loved husband, father and son his life. Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace death and injury. There was a lack of planning in terms of the risk and those being tasked with the job were not aware of the dangers posed to them. We will not hesitate to take action against those who fail to protect their workers."
The case underscores the critical importance of comprehensive risk assessments and proper communication of safety procedures, especially when dismantling structures built by third parties.
