The publication of Sheriff Margaret Nielsen’s fatal accident inquiry determination into the death of haulier John MacKinnon on December 22, 2011also revealed that Mr MacKinnon had “probably” made the fateful decision to move his lorry crane to get a better mobile phone reception and had the jib extended upwards.
Ms Nielsen cited “considerable confusion” between landowner the Forestry Commission and harvester Munro Harvesting as to who was responsible for ensuring adequate “goalpost” safety measures – visual warnings of overhead power cables – in the area around the harvesting site at Kyle Farm, Skye.
She said she was “disappointed” that this confusion had not been resolved.
Those goalposts that existed in the area were not brightly painted and did not have a rigid crossbar, as required in current industry standards.
Haulier Skye Transport, which Mr MacKinnon was director of, was not invited to the pre-harvesting meeting, where safety measures like goalposts are normally discussed. Fire damage made it unclear whether Mr MacKinnon’s Scania 124 independent loader truck with high-capacity lifting crane had any warning system fitted but Ms Nielsen has recommended that a warning light (in terms of BEN12999:2002) should be fitted in the cabs of similar vehicles to alert the driver if the crane was not stowed in its proper position prior to moving.
(More on this story will appear in the next issue of TTJ)
