West Fraser (Europe) Ltd, formerly known as Norbord, pleaded guilty to several health and safety breaches related to the two accidents, which happened within six months of each other in 2020.
It is the second time West Fraser has been prosecuted following health and safety breaches. In 2022, it was fined over £2m after an employee died after suffering serious burns at the same plant.
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First accident
Both of the accidents in 2020 led to investigations by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
In the first, Sean Gallagher, 29, a utility operator, suffered serious injuries after his leg became entangled in moving parts at the bottom of a storage bunker in January 2020.
Gallagher had noticed a fault in a bunker at the plant and initially entered it to inspect the company’s safe system of work procedure. However, when he identified further issues later in his shift, he entered the bunker again, but this time had not turned off the power.
He became entangled in the machinery and had to use his phone to alert a control room operator. He was eventually extracted from the machine and taken to hospital, with injuries including compound fractures to the tibia and fibula of his right leg.
As a result of the accident, the company installed a mesh guard across the bunker hatch, which is padlocked. It can only be unlocked by a supervisor once the system has been isolated.
Second accident
In July of the same year, David McMillan, 39, a scaffolder, was working at height when a rusty plate on the steel gantry gave way, causing him to fall to the ground. He spent 20 days in hospital.
The subsequent HSE investigation found there was no maintenance schedule or system of checks for the gantry structure. The steel flooring to the gantry was found to have been corroded in places, while some of the welds holding the plates in place were at the point of failure.
Following the incident, the gantry was immediately placed out of bounds before it was dismantled and removed from the site.
In relation to the first incident, West Fraser (Europe) Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to comply with regulations 11(1) and (2) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £28,000 at Stirling Sheriff Court on 17 February 2025.
For the second incident, West Fraser (Europe) Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to comply with sections 4(2) and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £1,040,000 at Stirling Sheriff Court on 17 February 2025.
