27.09.2018

Boom lift fatality

A man died yesterday when a bus clipped the boom lift he was working from near Stirling in Scotland – the second bus/aerial work platform incident in Scotland in 24 hours. See spider lift lands on bus.

The man, Michael McArthur, 26, was working on a building in the town centre of Doune, north west of Stirling, at around 10:30 yesterday morning when a coach/bus clipped the riser of the boom lift he was working from.
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The impact caused him to be thrown from the platform to the ground as he was not wearing a harness or lanyard at the time. We have been informed that the platform was a 33ft Niftylift HR12 which was working in the street with very little to no cordoning off, and that as the bus rounded the corner, it avoided the base machine but just clipped the riser, causing the superstructure to turn and spring back, catapulting the man across the street. While the description seems to be confirmed by the photo we have received, we have not yet been able to fully corroborate this version of events.
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An photo of the bus stop where the incident occurred

The man was declared dead at the scene. The investigation into what happened is ongoing.

UPDATE

In August 2021 Michael McArthur's relatives, were awarded a total of £315,000 in damages for "loss of society" in an action against the operators of the bus - Timberbush Tours Ltd - and its insurers ERS Syndicate Management Ltd.

The defendants admitted that McArthur had died from injuries sustained by the collision, but pointed out that he had not been wearing a harness or lanyard or any other protective equipment, and that there was no system of traffic management placed around the machine. They argued that he was contributory to the negligence in not wearing a harness but were unable to show that one was ever provided, or that he had been properly trained. It was also revealed that the deceased had previously refused to work in a clearly unsafe manner, and with this in mind the judge did not accept that he was jointly negligent.

McArthur’s employer Kevin Bowie, 37, the sole director of Precision Decorating Services (Scotland) Ltd is being tried separately for having failed to ensure that work being carried out at height, was properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a manner which was, as far as reasonably practicable, safe.

In particular it is alleged that Bowie failed to ensure that measures were in place to cordon off the boom lift from passing traffic. The case continues and is expected to conclude towards the end of 2021.

UPDATE 2 - July 12 2022

Kevin Bowie of Precision Decorating Services was sentenced today and given a community payback order requiring him to be under supervision for 18 months and to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.