Inquiry into death of farm worker after incident in storage shed

A Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) is to be held into the death of a farm worker in Stirling.

Alistair Blair was employed by Graham’s The Family Dairy and died on November 4, 2024, after sustaining fatal injuries in an incident at a storage shed at Birkenwood Farm near Kippen.

A Preliminary Hearing to examine the 64-year-old’s death is set for December 11, 2026, at Stirling Sheriff Court.     

The purpose of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) includes determining the cause of death; the circumstances in which the death occurred, and to establish what, if any, reasonable precautions could have been taken, and could be implemented in the future, to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.             

Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature, and are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame.       

Debbie Carroll for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scotland’s independent deaths investigation authority, said:  “The death of Alistair Blair occurred while in the course of his employment and as such a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory.            

“The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff.            

“Mr Blair’s family will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress.”   