Fife firm guilty of breach after worker crushed under lorry

Lochgelly: Ian Bratchie died when truck was driven off as he worked under it

A Fife firm has been convicted of breaching health and safety legislation following the death of an employee who was crushed by the wheels of a lorry.

Workshop assistant Ian Bratchie, 50, died in the accident on September 3 2015 when he was run over by the HGV in the Lochgelly yard of Robert Purvis Plant Hire.

The company was found guilty of failing to make suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk of vehicles being driven away while they were under maintenance at its premises in Cartmore Industrial Estate between April 2 2012 and September 4 2015.

However, jurors at Dunfermline Sheriff Court delivered a not proven verdict to a second charge – that the firm had failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees, in particular Mr Bratchie.

The charge had alleged a series of failures in relation to how work was allocated, where it was carried out and training, instruction and supervision of employees, among other measures.

Mr Bratchie, a grandfather from Lochgelly, was under the lorry when its driver Mark Elder tried to move it.

The court heard Mr Elder, 40, had left his vehicle for repair in a parking area away from the workshop as it was busy. Mr Bratchie was described during the trial as a helpful, trusted employee, who was well liked and had worked in HGV workshops for 11 years.

Colleagues said he had been allocated the job of painting vehicles awaiting Mots that week and the repair to Mr Elder’s lorry, which had a flatbed trailer and crane, was due to be carried out by another employee the following day.

Procurator fiscal depute Gavin Callaghan said it might never be known why Mr Bratchie was at the vehicle, but the company’s working practices had not been suitably assessed.

He told jurors: “Had the system worked that day I would suggest to you that this tragedy would not have happened.”

Advocate defending Susan Duff insisted: “The fate that befell Ian Bratchie was not foreseeable because all the safety measures had been put in place to prevent the possibility of that happening.”

Colleagues and bosses of Mr Bratchie gave evidence during the trial over several days.

Mr Bratchie’s partner Claire Mason, who was in court, said she did not know what to make of the verdict and declined to comment.

Sheriff Christopher Shead is due to pass sentence today.

Ian Bratchie died in the accident at the Fife yard.