Formal Inquiries

Kinclair report and recommendations

The Rail Safety and Standards Board has issued its formal inquiry report into the circumstances that led to the injury of two contractors, one seriously, whilst carrying out brickwork repairs to the Kinclair Viaduct.

The formal inquiry was convened under independent chairmanship and included representatives on the panel from the involved parties. As with all such inquiries the panel's task was to establish the immediate and underlying causes of the accident and make recommendations to prevent or reduce the risk of recurrence.

Sequence of events

Three men employed by the sub-contractor were carrying out brickwork repairs to sections of the Kinclair Viaduct. The work was being undertaken using a cradle suspended from fixings attached to the wall of the viaduct.

While both steeplejacks were working in the cradle, suspended about 20 metres above the ground, both fixings on the left-hand side and one on the right-hand side became unanchored. The cradle remained suspended vertically from the remaining wire, which had been attached to the viaduct railings. This caused the two workers to fall out of the lower end of the cradle into a stream, about 7 metres below. Neither man was wearing a safety harness, which would have restricted their fall if clipped to the cradle.

One of the steeplejacks sustained serious head injuries, while the other sustained minor cuts and bruises. The apprentice steeplejack, asked an adjacent householder to call the emergency services, while he gave first aid to the seriously injured steeplejack and made him comfortable.

An air ambulance took the seriously injured steeplejack to Glasgow southern general hospital. The other was taken to Ayr hospital by ambulance and the apprentice was treated for shock at the accident site.

Conclusions

Two steeplejacks fell from a suspended cradle, one sustaining serious head injuries, due to failure to comply with the approved method of work for erection and use of the cradle. They failed to wear safety harnesses when working in the suspended cradle, which if secured to the cradle would have restricted their fall. Their actions indicated a slow degradation of compliance with the approved practices for working with suspended cradles.

Recommendations

The report makes recommendations for improvements in a number of key areas and these are summarised as follows.

To improve the understanding of the specific task and the safety measures required.
Ensure that all working practices are maintained to the high standard required in the method statements and specifications.
To ensure that work is carried out in accordance with the approved method of work, by on-site control.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board has issued a full copy of the report to each member of the Railway Group and the other organisations involved in the accident. All recipients of the report need to review the findings and recommendations and take actions where appropriate to address identified deficiencies within their own systems. The Rail Safety and Standards Board will track the industry's response to this report.