A Speyside haulage firm has been fined £8,000 for safety failings after an unsecured barrel fell on top of a worker and fractured his skull.
McPherson Limited admitted breaching height restrictions when the case called at Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday, more than a year after employee William Sim was seriously injured.
Mr Sim, from Aberlour, was unloading a three-tier lorry at Speyside Cooperage when the barrel fell on top of him last January.
The court heard yesterday that Mr Sim had driven the vehicle from the Aberlour firm’s Fisherton Garage depot to Speyside Cooperage to take 210 empty bourbon casks for repair.
When one of the side doors was opened by about a foot, one of the casks – weighing nearly 90lbs – fell from the top level of the van and struck Mr Sim on the heading, knocking him to the ground.
He suffered fractures to his skull, vertebrae and right eye.
The court heard a neurologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary had said the truck driver was lucky to be alive, and that he has since been advised the bones in his skull and spine may never full heal.
An investigation into the accident was launched by the Health and Safety Executive, who found wooden chocks placed at the front of the casks were an insufficient safety measure.
Last night Niall Miller, HSE Principal Inspector, welcomed the £8,000 fine and said the incident was “entirely avoidable”.
He said: “This was an entirely avoidable incident. Objects falling from height remain one of the most common reasons for injuries and even fatalities at work, and it is extremely fortunate that Mr Sim survived.
“Mr Sim still suffers a constant dull pain in his neck and head and gets dizzy if he moves too fast.”
A spokesman for McPherson Limited said: “Obviously, we are very sorry the incident happened, and we have taken all necessary precautions to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”