A farmer who fell to his death from a shed roof could have been saved if he had used safety equipment, a fatal accident enquiry has found.
A written judgement from Aberdeen Sheriff Court says James Grant, 76, was fixing leaks to a shed on the farm near Strachan, Aberdeenshire, without scaffolding or walking boards when he fell.
His niece noticed he was working at height as she returned from collecting her son from school.
Soon after they arrived she heard the noise of ‘something sliding off the roof’.
She sent her son to investigate and he discovered Grant lying on the ground with a head injury surrounded by broken perspex.
Emergency services raced to the scene in January 2019 but he could not be saved.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin ruled his death might have been avoided had he used a safer method of working and followed guidelines for working at height.
The sheriff also said a lack of safety equipment directly contributed to his death.
A health and safety investigation concluded that Mr Grant failed to work in a safe manner by not using equipment to prevent him from falling through the roof.
Sympathies
The sheriff said: “It is clear that Mr Grant died as a result of head injuries because of his fall whilst he was accessing the roof, alone and without safety precautions, to effect repairs.
“The court extends its sympathy to Mr Grant’s family and loved ones.”