Two workers suspended after climbing down Forth tower

TWO construction workers on the new Forth crossing were suspended after climbing down the outside of a tower after a lift broke down.

The men made their way from the top of the central tower of the new bridge at about 2pm on Thursday.

Shortly after starting their descent in the lift, it stopped. The pair climbed out of a hatch and, with 350ft between them and the deck platform, began to descend.

A bridge worker said: ‘They were absolutely terrified. They thought they were going to be killed. They had just started coming down for their dinner and were still nearly at the top of the tower when a wire snapped and a wheel came off the lift. The other wires got twisted.

‘They thought the whole thing was going to snap and they climbed down the tower themselves. It was really windy and they should have been told not to use the lift and come down the internal stairs instead.’

Five other men remained inside the lift and were rescued after two hours.

Yesterday, all six lifts were undergoing safety checks as part of an ongoing investigation.

At the time of the incident, the Met Office had issued warnings about Storm Abigail. Regulations ban the use of the lifts in winds above 44mph.

A spokesman for Transport Scotland, the body in charge of the project, said: ‘Safety procedures are in place to rescue employees from the lift in all conditions. These were immediately instigated.

‘The rescue team successfully carried out the practised rescue drill, which allowed those on board to return down the tower safely. At no stage were the personnel inside the hoist in any danger.’

A spokesman for construction union UCATT said: ‘Who knows what may have happened. The whole thing could have come down. These two guys may have been the only survivors.’