Summary
Lochaline Quartz Sand Limited has been fined £150,000 plus a £11,250 victim surcharge following the death of 61-year-old electrician Colin Thwaites. The incident occurred on 21 October 2024 at the Lochaline mine in the Scottish Highlands, Europe’s only underground quartz sand mine. Mr Thwaites was fatally struck by the blades of a BORA fan while attempting to restore power following a storm.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed that the fan had been modified in 2020, splitting a dual-fan unit into two separate units without any formal risk assessment or commissioning documentation. This modification left the rotating blades just 43mm from the intake guard—significantly less than the required 200mm safety distance. Furthermore, the intake guard was found to be poorly designed, badly corroded, and missing significant sections of mesh, indicating a long-term lack of maintenance.
Analysis
This case highlights a systemic failure in change management and asset maintenance. The decision to modify heavy machinery without engineering oversight or risk assessment created a lethal hazard that persisted for four years. The analysis of the scene suggests that the company’s safety protocols were reactive rather than proactive; despite the fan’s degraded condition, it had not been included in the mine’s Mechanical Asset Register, meaning it bypassed regular inspection schedules.
The HSE’s findings emphasise that “experienced” staff are not a substitute for robust safety systems. Even though Mr Thwaites was a highly skilled professional, the structural failure of the guarding equipment made the environment inherently unsafe. The prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 serves as a stark reminder to the mining and quarrying industry that equipment modifications must be strictly validated against safety standards and integrated into formal maintenance programmes to prevent avoidable tragedies.
Article Link: Mining company fined after electrician killed at Europe’s only underground quartz sand mine – HSE Media Centre