RJ McLeod fined nearly £900,000 over death of 10-year-old boy
Shea Ryan drowned at one of the company's sites in Drumchapel in 2020
A construction company has been fined £860,000 for health and safety failings which led to the death of a 10-year-old boy.
Contractors RJ McLeod were responsible for a construction site that Shea Ryan was able to enter in Glasgow's Drumchapel on July 16, 2020.
The 10-year-old bypassed insecure fencing before sitting beside an open manhole cover - situated 60 metres from a children's play park.
Prosecutor Saud Ul-Hassan told Glasgow Sheriff Court: “Shea began to climb down the ladder where he slipped and fell.
The other children raised the alarm and Shea’s stepdad Graham Patterson entered the manhole.
Police attended and officers found Shea lying on his back with Mr Patterson and a neighbour beside him.
Mr Ul-Hassan said: “Shea was seen to have severe head injuries, cold to the touch and was not breathing.”
An officer brought Shea to the surface and performed CPR before he was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
He could not be saved.
The cause of death was noted as “Head injury and drowning.”
They were carrying out work on a Glasgow City Council project on surface water to reduce flooding in the area.
The company pled guilty earlier this week to failing to ensure people not in their employment were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.
Sheriff Matthew Jackson KC told the sentencing: "This will not lessen in any way, or replace, the terrible loss of Shea's life."
The earlier hearing was told that the company “failed to undertake a full assessment on the work area and consider its close proximity to the nearby play park and the risk of children being attracted to the site as well as identify the measures to prevent unauthorised access.”
The company was also found not to have kept the existing measures under review.
They were further criticised for not having double fencing on the area of the site.
We have contacted RJ McLeod for comment.