A multinational wood products manufacturer has been fined more than £1 million after two workers sustained serious injuries in separate incidents at its Cowie plant in Sterling, Scotland, within six months of each other.
West Fraser (Europe) Ltd, formerly known as Norbord, pleaded guilty to multiple breaches of health and safety regulations following investigations by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The incidents occurred in January and July 2020, resulting in life-changing injuries for both workers. The first incident, in January that year, left Sean Gallagher, 29, with severe leg injuries after he became entangled in moving machinery inside a storage bunker.
Gallagher, a utility operator with five years at the company, had entered the bunker to inspect a fault, initially following the company’s safe system of work. But later in his shift, he re-entered the bunker without turning off the power and became caught in the machinery.
Despite his injuries, Gallagher managed to use his phone to call for help. He was later extracted and taken to hospital, where he was treated for compound fractures to his right tibia and fibula.
Following the incident, the company introduced a padlocked mesh guard across the bunker hatch, which can now only be unlocked by a supervisor after the system is isolated.
Six months later, in July 2020, David McMillan, 39, suffered multiple fractures after falling more than 13 feet from a rooftop gantry when a corroded steel plate gave way beneath him.
McMillan spent 20 days in hospital, recovering from fractures to his neck, ankle and other parts of his body.
The HSE investigation found that no maintenance schedule or safety checks were in place for the gantry structure. Parts of the steel flooring were corroded, and some of the welds holding plates in place were on the verge of failure.
After the incident, the gantry was immediately taken out of use and later dismantled.
Court Fines and Previous Fatal Incident
On 17 February 2025, Stirling Sheriff Court fined West Fraser (Europe) Ltd:
- £28,000 for breaches related to Gallagher’s injury under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
- £1,040,000 for failing to ensure the gantry’s safety, breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
It was not the first time the company faced significant penalties for safety failings. In 2022, it was fined more than £2 million after an employee died from serious burns at the same plant.
HSE: ‘Repeated Failures Not Acceptable’
HSE inspector Stuart Easson condemned the company’s ongoing safety failures, saying: “This is the second time in five years this company has been handed a large fine for failing to protect workers.
“Although both men sustained very serious injuries in these latest incidents, both are lucky to be alive.
“We hope this outcome demonstrates that repeated failures of this nature are not acceptable.”
The HSE said it continued to investigate workplace safety standards to prevent future incidents.