Glasgow Prestwick Airport fined £144,000 after staff member fell to death while unloading cargo

An airport company has been fined more than £144,000 for failures that led to the death of a member of staff.

Joseph Dempsey, an experienced member of the ground handling team, died after a corroded guardrail gave way and he fell to the tarmac at Glasgow Prestwick Airport on January 11, 2023.

The 59-year-old was preparing to unload cargo from an aircraft using a pallet loader.

He had positioned the loader and was repositioning the guardrail when it suddenly gave way, causing him to fall around ten feet.

Mr Dempsey’s colleagues rushed to his aid and paramedics attempted CPR and life support before he was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that one of the guardrail posts had completely fractured. There were visible signs of “significant” corrosion, discolouration and flaking white paint around the area.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport Limited pled guilty to a breach of health and safety legislation at Ayr Sheriff Court where they were fined £144,050.

The charges accepted by the company included that they failed to ensure that the pallet loader was maintained and in good repair, and that they failed to have a suitable and adequate maintenance and inspection programme to identify deterioration of and corrosion to the safety guardrails fitted to the container loader.

Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations for the COPFS, said:  “Joseph Dempsey lost his life in circumstances which could have been avoided if Prestwick Airport had in place a suitable and adequate maintenance and inspection programme to ensure the equipment he was using was in a good state of repair.  

“This prosecution should remind duty holders that a failure to fulfil their obligations can have fatal consequences and they will be held accountable for this failure.” 

Graeme McMinn, HM Principal Inspector of Health and Safety, added: “Employers have an absolute legal duty to ensure that equipment they use at work is maintained in an efficient state and in good repair and full working order.

“This incident is a tragic reminder of what can result when that does not happen.”

Since the incident, Prestwick Airport has undertaken a review of all work at height.

Checks of the guardrails on the platform loaders have been added to the list of checks conducted during the annual service and inspection schedule and the failed guardrail was replaced by a new rail from the manufacturer.