A worker was crushed to death after granite slabs weighing 95kg fell onto him in a tragic workplace accident.
Steven White, 61, was offloading the heavy material while working at his job at Blyth Marble in Larkhall, Lanarkshire.
The father-of-one was standing on a lorry using a mechanic lift when the two chunks of stone toppled over and fell onto him.
The blocks of granite weighed a total of 95kg.
Emergency services were called to his workplace in September last year, doing everything they could to save Steven.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
He was pronounced dead at the scene despite paramedics’ best efforts.
Blyth Marble Ltd is one of the UK’s largest stockists of several stone materials, including marble, granite and quartz, and has been trading since 1969, according to its website.
The company has a head office in Worksop, Nottinghamshire and distributes materials across the county and in Scotland.
Blyth Marble Ltd has admitted it breached health and safety laws at Hamilton Sheriff Court in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Instructions on using ‘safety posts’ to prevent slabs from toppling were not written anywhere, the court heard.
It is understood that there was a failure in the safe system of work at the site.
Fiscal depute Blair Speed told the court that Steven had sustained fatal injuries after the slabs struck him.
He said: ‘The slab lifter appeared to have been positioned on the slabs causing them to tilt forwards, causing Mr White to jump from the lorry.
‘As the crane operator continued to raise the ropes, the slabs fell from the lift, striking Mr White, and he sustained fatal injuries.’
The prosector said there was a ‘significantly’ increased risk of slabs falling off when working without the safety posts.
The court also heard that the equipment Steven used was checked after the accident and was found to be in working order.
In light of his death, Blyth Marble has since updated their safety procedures with Barry Smith KC, defending, explaining that lessons had been learned at the company.
Mr Smith said: ‘Most importantly, I’m expressly instructed to tender on behalf of the company director, their very sincerest condolences to the family of Mr White.
‘The company recognises that the work it undertakes involves hazards and this must be controlled, but it is of uppermost regret that their efforts were not enough and that this tragedy occurred.
‘Lessons have been learned, and improvements on safety have been made.’
The company will be sentenced next month.
Sheriff Michael Higgins deferred the sentence and said: ‘I need sufficient time to properly consider all of the information given to me.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
