Viking contractor fined £800k following death of boy in Glasgow

RJ McLeod – the principal contractor on the Viking Energy windfarm project – has been fined £800,000 after a 10-year-old boy died on a construction site in Glasgow in 2020.

The company were the principal contractors on the Drumchapel site when Shéa Ryan fell over six-metres down a manhole on 16th July 2020.

RJ McLeod pleaded guilty to a health and safety at work breach at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

The court heard that Ryan, along with a number of other children, were able to access the site through an insecure fence.

The boy was then able to access a manhole which he slipped and fell down, sustaining fatal injuries.

Prior to his death the company did not have a formal written system for monitoring damage to its perimeter fencing, the court heard.

A Fatal Accident Inquiry will now be held into Ryan’s death.

Speaking after the sentencing Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said:  “His death could have been prevented had RJ McLeod put in place suitable and sufficient measures to manage the risk of children accessing the site.     

“This prosecution should remind duty holders that a failure to manage and implement effective measures can have fatal consequences and they will be held accountable for this failure.”

RJ McLeod was appointed lead contractor on the Viking windfarm project in July 2020.

The company has been approached for comment.