Meat factory worker crushed to death

A WORKER has been crushed to death beneath a forklift truck at a meat factory in Broxburn.

Long-serving Halls of Broxburn worker George Hardie, 58, was working in the yard at the East Main Street plant when he was hit by the forklift yesterday.

He was initially pronounced dead at the scene but signs of life were detected, and he was rushed under police escort to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment, but he could not be saved.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive has been launched.

Rob Smith, group communications controller of Dutch parent company Vion Food Group, said: "At approximately 1:40pm yesterday an accident occurred in the yard at Halls of Broxburn involving a forklift truck, which resulted in a serious injury.

"Police and fire crews attended the incident and the casualty was removed to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

"It is with deep regret that we have to announce that George Hardie died at 3pm yesterday.

"Mr Hardie has been a colleague at the plant for 16 years, working as a team leader in the goods inward department.

"The incident is currently under investigation by the police and the health and safety executive.

"Site management are cooperating fully with the emergency services and the Health and Safety Executive's investigations into the incident.

"All our thoughts are with Mr Hardie's wife, family and friends at this very trying and difficult time."

The Health and Safety Executive confirmed that it had been made aware of the incident, and an inspector was sent to investigate.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "Crews attended a fatality at the Grampian Country Foods plant in Broxburn at 1:40pm yesterday.

"A 58-year-old male had been run over by a forklift truck and had become stuck underneath the machine.

"The male was initially pronounced dead at the scene.

"Ambulance crews then relayed a second message saying that he was to be rushed to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary under police escort, indicating that the paramedics would have detected signs of life or had been able to re-establish a rhythm.

"However, the male was later pronounced dead."

A similar Health and Safety Inquiry was launched in October 2007 after a worker was crushed by a huge concrete block that slipped from a forklift on a builders' yard in Leith.

The 26-year-old was left struggling for breath as he lay trapped under the block following the accident, at the Salamander Street yard of roofing contractors A Thorburn.

The latest incident at Halls of Broxburn happened just over a month after a fire broke out in a ground-floor switch room at the same plant, sending workers fleeing in the early hours of the morning on 30 April. It took 30 firefighters to bring the blaze under control.

Article created by Editor. (info@safetynetscotland.co.uk)