New station lifesavers
Lifesaving defibrillators have been installed at seven Lanarkshire railway stations as part of a nationwide rollout by train operator Scotrail.
The devices are now in place at East Kilbride, Hamilton Central, Motherwell, Rutherglen, Airdrie, Newton and Croy and have been registered with the Scottish Ambulance Service so they can be made available to 999 callers.
It means passengers, staff and the wider community will be able to access the devices in the event of a cardiac arrest, aiming to help restore the patient’s heart rhythm.
The new Lanarkshire defibrillators are among 87 to have been newly placed at stations all over the country, with Scotrail saying:“Completion of this roll-out has greatly enhanced the availability across Scotland’s railway.”
Most are in accessible locations at each station and can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week; with some exceptions “where it has been necessary to install them in ticket offices due to security issues”.
As well as being registered with ambulance staff, location information is also held on national defibrillator network The Circuit and means that emergency callers can be directed to the nearest device.
Scotrail director David Lister said:“A defibrillator can make the difference between life and death in an emergency, and we are delighted to have been able to install so many of them at stations across the network.
“This roll-out ensures that 87 stations now have a machine and with all of our new devices registered on the national network, it means that anyone in need of urgent medical care will get that vital support when they need it most.”
A young worker lost part of his leg in a horrific accident as he was attempting to remove a tree stump in a customer’s garden.
The victim, then aged 22, suffered severe injuries after his trousers became entangled in a machine he was using.
The incident in Cypress Avenue, East Kilbride, led to tree surgeon Christopher King admitting a charge under health and safety legislation.
Self-employed King, 41, of Gibbon Crescent, East Kilbride, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court, pictured, this week.
The accident happened on July 4, 2019, but the court heard that despite his horrendous ordeal the victim remains friends with King and has continued to work for him. He attended the hearing to lend support to the accused who trades as All About Trees.
The court was told that the victim had been tasked with removing a tree stump from a garden where landscaping work was to take place.
He used a machine called a stump grinder but put it down in order to clear away some bricks.
The machine should have switched off automatically when not attended to, but a safety mechanism had been disarmed so it kept running.
His trousers were caught and his leg was pulled into the machine and struck repeatedly by the grinding wheel.
His cries for help were heard by a neighbour and nearby workmen also went to his aid. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries but doctors were unable to save his leg which was amputated below the knee.
King’s lawyer said her client “takes full responsibility for what happened”.
She stated: “This happened at a time when his health and safety practices were not as they should have been. He has learned an exceptionally hard lesson. It’s been a wake-up call that generated a complete overhaul of his business. There was an immediate acceptance of culpability and a determination to ensure nothing like this could happen again.”
The lawyer told Sheriff John Speir: “He was clearly distressed by what happened, not least because of his friendship with the injured party.
“Their friendship through this incredibly difficult situation has been a source of support for both of them.”
Sheriff Speir asked if the victim had sued King for compensation for his injuries, but was told that he had not.
The sheriff deferred sentence until June for a criminal justice social work report.
He said: “I want to see if there is potential for a community-based disposal. It seems that might be an option especially as a fine could be problematic in terms of the accused being able to pay and the viability of the business.”