A north-east memorial firm has been fined more than £23,000 after a worker’s spine was crushed by a falling slab of granite.
A&J Robertson employee, Kenneth Rennie, was left with a “shattered vertebra” after a large piece of rock became detached from a six tonne boulder and struck him and pinned him to the ground.
As a result, Mr Rennie had to have metal screws and rods inserted into his spine.
Following the incident the company, which provides and distributes gravestones across the UK, was charged with breaching health and safety laws. And yesterday lawyers appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted the firm was guilty of failing to carry out and implement suitable risk assessments in relation to how the handling of the granite is managed.
The accident happened on March 6, 2014, in the saw shed of the company’s premises on Merkland Road East, Aberdeen.
Fiscal depute Emma Stewart said the building was used to cut the large blocks of raw granite into smaller workable pieces.
The court heard that Mr Rennie had been in the shed assisting his colleague, Anthony Jack, unload a cutting trolley which held a large piece of granite from the primary saw.
After checking everything was secure, the men positioned themselves on the same side of the trolley and proceeded to push against it to move it away from the saw.
Miss Stewart said: “As the trolley moved, Mr Jack saw the wooden block between the granite and the support bar fall out.
The off-cut slab of granite (which weighed approximately 100-150kgs, and was top heavy) fell towards the two men, and against the support bar which failed under its weight and bent outwards. Mr Jack managed to avoid the falling slab, however, Mr Rennie was struck on the back by the failed support bar and off-cut slab of granite.”
Sentencing the firm, Sheriff Graeme Napier said he took into account the company’s previous good health and safety record.
However he said it was a serious incident which could have resulted in a fatality.
He fined the company £23,500.
Last night a spokesman for the company said: “A & J Robertson (Granite) LTD regrets very much the accident and injury that took place on March 6, 2014 and accepts the findings of the court.
“However, we are pleased to say that Mr Rennie has returned to work with us on a full-time basis.
“Following the accident the company’s health and safety advisers conducted a full investigation prior to HSE’s involvement and all the recommendations made by both the company’s health and safety advisers and the HSE have been implemented.”
