The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to demolition companies of the importance of finding out as much as possible about the buildings or structures that they are about to demolish.

Central Demolition Limited of Bonnyside Road, Bonnybridge were fined £50,000 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court having pled guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Mr Gideon Irvine, aged 44 of Falkirk, died on Sunday 22 August 2004 when a large section of the former Caledonia Mill which was being demolished at the time, fell onto him without warning as he was operating an excavator on the site.

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HSE Inspector Murray Provan, commented after the case: “This accident was entirely foreseeable. The demolition company had not carried out a survey of Caledonia Mill as they had been contracted to do and as health and safety legislation and the British Standard for Demolition strongly suggests should be done in order to identify structural hazards to prevent premature collapse.

“Central Demolition’s involvement at this site went back several years and it had ample opportunity to find out as much as it could. The company failed entirely to appreciate the differences in the structure and it was therefore inevitable that part of the silo would collapse prematurely.”

He concluded: “Demolition is an inherently risky part of the construction industry. The very nature of the work involves bringing buildings or other structures down and there is plenty of advice and guidance on how to do this work safely and with the minimum of risk to workers and members of the public.”

(JM)