Crossing death was accident, says sheriff

A MAINTENANCE man working on the new Queensferry Crossing was killed by the falling arm of an 18-tonne crane in what a sheriff ruled was a “tragic accident”.

John Cousin removed a central pin that secured the 86 stone piece of steel, causing it to crash to the ground.

A Fatal Accident Inquiry in Stirling in December heard that Mr Cousin, 62, was hit on the head and body and sustained “unsurvivable injuries”.

He was working on the flagship project with Stewart Clark, a fitter for the machine’s owners who was preparing to replace a leaking hydraulic hose.

In his written determination, Sheriff William Gilchrist said: “This was a tragic accident. I can understand why Mr Cousin’s family might believe that he would not have removed the central pin on his own initiative.

“I can therefore understand why they might be critical of Stewart Clark’s competence and the training provided to him by his employers. However, on balance, I am not persuaded that he [Mr Clark] instigated or acquiesced in the removal of the pin.

“Accordingly, the criticisms of his training, while justified, cannot give rise to a finding of a defect in a system of work because any such defect would not have contributed to the cause of the accident.”

Sheriff Gilchrist recommended consideration should be given to imposing a requirement – or advising through guidance – that a warning label should be attached to the pin advising operators “not to remove the pin without first having confirmed that the fly jib is secured by another pin”.