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Sky News
6 days ago
- Sky News
Death of boy, 10, who fell down Glasgow construction site manhole was 'avoidable', inquiry finds
The death of a 10-year-old boy who fell down an open manhole at a construction site in Glasgow could have been avoided, a sheriff has determined. Shea Ryan suffered fatal injuries after he slipped from a ladder and plummeted more than six metres down the shaft at the Drumchapel site in July 2020. The schoolboy and his friends had gained access through an unsecured fence. In April 2023, RJ McLeod (Contractors) Ltd was fined £800,000 and ordered to pay a £60,000 victim surcharge after the firm admitted breaching health and safety laws. A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) was ordered following the court case. Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature and are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame. In his determination, Sheriff Stuart Reid found there were five reasonable precautions that could have been taken by RJ McLeod and Amey Black & Veatch that may have prevented Shea's death. About two weeks before the incident, Amey Black & Veatch had temporarily transferred the site over to RJ McLeod. Sheriff Reid said a lack of cooperation and communication between the two firms contributed to Shea's fatal accident. Amey Black & Veatch was found to have removed a heavy bag of building material from the top of the manhole shortly before leaving the site. The company also failed to disclose knowledge of multiple incidents of vandalism to the perimeter fencing in the vicinity of a nearby play park and public footpath. Amey Black & Veatch additionally failed to flag up multiple reports of unauthorised access to the site by children and others. The sheriff said RJ McLeod failed to take "reasonable and sufficient measures" to prevent the unauthorised access. As well as failing to inspect and maintain suitable perimeter fencing, the firm also failed to check the manhole at the end of each working day to ensure it was fully covered and not accessible to children. Sheriff Reid made eight recommendations - seven of which were for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to review existing practices, policies and procedures and to consider revising them. These included a review of published guidance to protect children, record incidents of perimeter breaches, prevent unauthorised access to incomplete manholes, and greater cooperation and information sharing between principal contractors. The sheriff also recommended for Glasgow City Council and other local authorities to review their procedures when play parks are located near a construction site. Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatality investigations for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: "Shea Ryan's tragic death has been a catastrophic loss for his family. "They have my deepest sympathy as they continue to deal with the pain they have suffered." Digby Brown Solicitors, which represents Shea's family, welcomed the sheriff's recommendations. A spokesperson for the firm said the determination showed the schoolboy's death was an "avoidable tragedy", adding: "There will never be the words that accurately describe the anger, pain and grief Shea's family are continuing to feel five years since that night."
Daily Mail
05-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Death of schoolboy, 10, who fell 20ft down a manhole near a playpark 'could have been avoided'
The death of a young boy who fell down an open manhole at a construction site could have been avoided, a sheriff has determined. Shea Ryan, 10, was able to bypass insecure fencing at the site situated 60 metres from a children's play park in Glasgow 's Drumchapel on July 16 2020. Shea sat on the open manhole which had a drop of 6.3 metres to the ground. He was overheard saying that he wanted to 'go down.' Shea unfortunately slipped from a ladder at the entrance of the manhole to the water below. He was later found cold to the touch with severe head injuries and was not breathing. Contractors RJ McLeod were fined £860,000 in April 2023 after they pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to failing to implement safety measures. A fatal accident inquiry into Shea's death took place at the same court before Sheriff Stuart Reid. The sheriff determined that there were five reasonable precautions which could have been taken which realistically could have prevented Shea's death. The probe heard that company Amey Black & Veatch who were working at the site removed a bag of material from the manhole shortly before they transferred the site over to RJ McLeod. Sheriff Reid stated that poor co-operation between Amey Black and Veatch and RJ McLeod contributed to the death. This included communication about the general risks associated with the construction site. Another contributory reason of death was stated to be the failure of RJ McLeod to take measures to prevent unauthorised access to the manhole. The sheriff suggested a metal lid or a heavy object could have been used as well as fully enclosed fencing around the manhole. A further stated reason of death was RJ McLeod's failure to assess the risk of unauthorised people such as children gaining access to the site. There was a lack of inspection and maintenance of the parameter fencing to prevent unauthorised access to the site. Furthermore, there was failure to inspect the manhole at the end of the working day to see if it was fully closed with no access for children. Another cause of death was stated to be Shea climbing into the manhole and his intention of climbing down the ladder. The sheriff claimed another cause was the removal of the heavy bag of material from the manhole before the transfer to RJ McLeod. Sheriff Reid further stated that a contributory factor were defects in the system of work. The probe was told that there was no system for RJ McLeod employees to record, monitor, document or report incidents of damage to the construction site and its parameter fencing. The sheriff further cited the site's proximity to a children's play park to the construction site as another relevant factor. Furthermore, the Covid-19 lockdown which resulted in school closures also contributed. Sheriff Reid made eight recommendations at his determination. The sheriff asked for a review of The Health and Safety Executive's published guidance on construction to promote the objective of protecting children from risks at construction sites. Sheriff Reid also asked for incidents of parameter breaches to be recorded and action taken to prevent it happening again. Another recommendation is for manholes to be covered by a heavy object to prevent them from being accessed out with operational hours. The sheriff further asked there to be a duty of co-operation between contractors working on construction sites. Further to this, it was recommended that information be shared between contractors which includes unauthorised access to sites, vandalism as well as disorderly conduct by members of the public towards workers. The sheriff also recommended that information should be shared between contractors in terms of risks of injury or death and measures taken to control it. Another recommendation was for contractors to highlight the risks in terms of children's play parks. This includes risks of damage to fencing near the play parks as well as the unauthorised access from children to the sites. The sheriff has stated that contractors should consider taking enhanced precautionary measures due to the increased risks. Sheriff Reid lastly recommended that Glasgow City Council and other local authorities should review their procedures when it comes to play parks located near a construction site. This includes a risk assessment to see if there are any dangers of having a play park in the vicinity of a construction site. The council have been asked to determine if the risks can be controlled and if the park should remain open during the period of construction. This also includes temporarily dismantling or relocating a play park. Sheriff Reid said: 'I wish to acknowledge the particular courage and kindness of Mr Graeme Paterson, Mr Jamie Adams, and Constables Bryan Courtney, Holly McConnachie and Nigel McDonald, who, being among the first adults at the scene of the accident, tried so valiantly to save Shea's life. 'Lastly, may I express my sincere condolences to Shea's mother, Joanne Ferguson, and to his step-father and family, for their loss. 'Some small solace may perhaps be drawn from the outcome of this Inquiry, and the protections from which other children may hopefully benefit.'
BBC News
05-08-2025
- BBC News
Death of Shéa Ryan who fell down manhole was avoidable
The death of a 10-year-old boy who fell down an open manhole at a construction site could have been avoided, a sheriff has Ryan died on 16 July 2020 when he climbed through an unsecured fence on a building site in Drumchapel, Glasgow, and fell 20ft (6.1 metres) down a manhole company RJ McLeod was fined £860,000 in April 2023 for failing to secure the site, where work had also been done by Amey Black & Stuart Reid headed up a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) which found that there were five reasonable precautions that could have been taken by the two companies to prevent Shéa's death. Unlike a criminal trial, an FAI seeks to establish the facts surrounding the death and does not look to place blame. The inquiry heard that Shéa entered the construction site with his friends and told them he wanted to climb down a he slipped from a ladder at the manhole entrance to the water below, and was later found unconscious with severe head Black & Veatch had transferred the site over to RJ McLeod two weeks before the Reid said that poor cooperation and communication between the two companies contributed to the contributing factor was that Amey Black & Veatch had removed a heavy bag of material from the manhole shortly before they left the sheriff also said that RJ McLeod failed to prevent unauthorised access to the manhole and failed to assess the risk of unauthorised people accessing the was also a lack of inspection and maintenance of the parameter fencing, and a failure to inspect the manhole at the end of the working day to make sure it was closed. 'Catastrophic loss' The sheriff made eight recommendations - seven of which were for the Health and Safety Executive to review existing procedures and to consider revising included a review of guidance to protect children, record incidents of perimeter breaches and prevent unauthorised access to incomplete recommended better cooperation and information sharing between principal contractors on incidents of unauthorised access and vandalism on building site was 197ft (60m) from a children's playpark, which was considered a contributing factor in the sheriff recommended that Glasgow City Council and other local authorities should review their procedures when play parks are located near a construction fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said the inquiry was launched after the circumstances of Shéa's death caused "significant public concern".He said: "Shéa Ryan's tragic death has been a catastrophic loss for his family. "They have my deepest sympathy as they continue to deal with the pain they have suffered."Digby Brown, the solicitors who represented Shéa's family, welcomed the recommendations but said the determination showed his death was an "avoidable tragedy".
Daily Record
05-08-2025
- Daily Record
Tragic schoolboy who fell down Glasgow building site manhole 'could have been avoided'
Shea Ryan, 10, died in the Garscadden Burn Outfall building site in Drumchapel after falling down an incomplete manhole. The tragic death of a schoolboy at a Glasgow building site could have been avoided, a Fatal Accident Inquiry has ruled. Shea Ryan, 10, died on July 16, 2020 after he climbed through an unsecured fence within the Garscadden Burn Outfall building site in Drumchapel, Glasgow, and fell 20ft down an incomplete manhole. The youngster died from a catastrophic head injury after the fall and in April 2023 contractor RJ McLeod were fined £800,000 for health and safety failings in relation to his death. Now a ruling from Sheriff Stuart Reid, presiding over the inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court, concluded that both the main contractor RJ McLeod (RJM) and joint venture Amey Black & Veatch (ABV) failed to take 'reasonable and sufficient measures' to protect the public from danger at the site. The sheriff identified multiple precautions that could 'realistically have resulted in the accident and Shea's death being avoided". On July 2 2020, before the site was temporarily transferred from ABV to RJM, a heavy ballast bag full of building material known as 'Grano' placed on top of the manhole to prevent access was removed. ABV never notified RJM of this change, despite the repeated incidents of unauthorised access by kids or damage to perimeter fencing at the site. RJM also never took action to replace the ballast bag or secure, weigh down or fasten the cast-iron lid on top of the manhole. They also failed to inspect the manhole at the end of each working day. Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks said: 'Shea Ryan's tragic death has been a catastrophic loss for his family. They have my deepest sympathy as they continue to deal with the pain they have suffered. 'Shea's death occurred in circumstances giving rise to significant public concern and as such a discretionary Fatal Accident Inquiry was instructed. 'The sheriff's determination is detailed and notes recommendations in relation to reasonable precautions that could have been taken to avoid Shea's death and identified learning to help avoid such incidents happening to other children in the future. 'This FAI followed a thorough and comprehensive investigation by the Procurator Fiscal who ensured that the full facts and circumstances of Shea's death were presented in evidence.' In light of the findings, Sheriff Reid made eight recommendations. Seven were for the Health and Safety Executive in respect of reviewing existing practices, policies and procedure and to consider revising them. These included a review of published guidance to protect children, record incidents of perimeter breaches, prevent unauthorised access to incomplete manholes and promote cooperation and information sharing between principal contractors. The eighth recommendation was that Glasgow City Council and other local authorities should review and consider revising practices, procedures and policies to ensure that risk assessments are carried out for children's play parks where there are nearby construction sites. Shea's mum Joanne Ferguson paid tribute in a statement in 2023: "My son is not here and that destroys me every day. That totally avoidable accident has ruined my life and my kid's lives – I don't even feel human anymore at times because of the grief. 'Wee Shea is missed every second of every day and his family and friends will always love and miss him." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Scotsman
08-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
New £155 million wind farm will power 45,000 Scottish homes from next year
'Breaking ground on Mill Rig is a huge milestone for OnPath Energy and a major step forward in delivering this strategically important renewable energy project' – Alan Wells, project manager Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Work has officially begun on a £155 million Scottish wind farm that will power some 45,000 homes. The onshore Mill Rig Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire is being developed by Scottish firm OnPath Energy and should be fully operational by next year. Construction activity on site is said to be well underway, with essential infrastructure work, including access roads, substation foundations and site preparation, progressing 'at pace'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The 33.4-megawatt wind project will feature some of the UK's most advanced turbines, harnessing 'cutting-edge technology' to maximise energy generation and efficiency, developers said. The first turbine components are expected to arrive on-site this autumn, with installation and commissioning scheduled for early 2026. (L-R) Michael Brady (OnPath Energy), Lorna Hull (OnPath Energy), Alan Wells (OnPath Energy), Construction Director Martin Kellerman (OnPath Energy), Shakthivelu Thanghavel (RJ McLeod), Lorcan Hayes (RJ McLeod), Mhairi Grossett and Michael Newton (OnPath Energy). Alan Wells, project manager at OnPath Energy, said: 'Breaking ground on Mill Rig is a huge milestone for OnPath Energy and a major step forward in delivering this strategically important renewable energy project. 'The start of construction marks the culmination of extensive planning, environmental assessments, and collaboration with local stakeholders to ensure the project is developed responsibly and builds community value for local people and businesses to support a just transition to net zero that is fair and inclusive for everyone. 'Our team is now focused on progressing construction efficiently, with strict adherence to best environmental practices and health and safety standards.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The firm said the wind farm would provide long-term economic benefits to the local community and the wider renewable energy sector north of the Border. The project is expected to directly support around 300 jobs, with 'many more' generated indirectly through the wider supply chain. OnPath Energy said it was committed to prioritising local contractors and businesses, with £91m invested within some 40 miles of the site. Wells added: 'Beyond delivering clean, green electricity, Mill Rig Wind Farm represents a major opportunity to invest in local talent, create jobs, and provide long-term economic value. 'We are committed to maximising the benefits of our projects, from supporting local businesses during construction to reinvesting in communities through our OnPath Together approach to development.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Over its lifetime, the wind farm will deliver a £5m community fund supporting local groups, and environmental projects within a short radius of the site. Mill Rig is the latest in a series of key renewable energy projects delivered by OnPath Energy. Locran Hayes, contracts manager at RJ McLeod, said: 'We're very pleased to be awarded the contract to construct Mill Rig Wind Farm. This is our fourth project with the OnPath team who recognise the skills and experience of our staff and operatives, as well as our track record of using local resources and services. We look forward to jointly delivering this important energy asset.' OnPath Energy recently completed the Kype Muir Extension Wind Farm - now owned by funds managed by Schroders Greencoat LLP - which became the first in the UK to feature turbines with 200-metre tip heights - seen as a breakthrough in onshore wind technology.
