Firm fined £1.14m over Cowie factory safety failings
The operators of a Scottish chipboard factory have been fined £1,148,000 after safety failings caused serious injuries to two different workers within six months.WestFraser (Europe) Ltd, formerly known as Norbord, admitted multiple breaches of health and safety at its plant in Cowie village near Stirling.One worker suffered serious injuries after his leg was caught in moving parts in a storage bunker, while another fell more than 13ft (3.96m) after a rusty plate gave way on a rooftop gantry.Norbord was fined £2,125,000 in 2022 for an incident at the plant in which an employee suffered fatal burns.
The factory, a major employer in the local area, opened in 1970 and was originally known as Caberboard.Stirling Sheriff Court heard that in January 2020, utility operator Sean Gallagher entered the bunker, which stored biomass for the plant's boilers, in order to clear a clogged auger - a tool used for boring holes.Without turning off the power to the auger and isolating the system, he got into the bunker through an inspection hatch that had no protective guard fitted, and his right leg became entangled in the auger.He was taken to Forth Valley Royal Infirmary with compound fractures to both the tibia and fibula in his right leg and multiple lacerations.The court heard that Mr Gallagher has not returned to work since the incident.The court also heard the company had since fitted a secondary guard to the hatch, secured by a padlock, with the key kept secure in the supervisor's office, and only issued in the event of the entire system being isolated and locked off.The second incident took place in July that year.Scaffolder David McMillan, an employee of Chester-based Palmers Scaffolding UK, was providing holiday cover at the site he was instructed to help erect scaffolding using a permanent gantry on the roof accessed by a fixed ladder.Having completed his task on the roof, he set out to descend, but as he jumped down onto the gantry a rusty floor plate gave way, falling to the ground and taking Mr McMillan with it.The court heard it was "immediately obvious" to his colleagues that he was seriously injured, and the emergency services were called.He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow with ankle fractures, a shattered left heel, a broken elbow and ribs, multiple fractures to vertebrae in his neck, a collapsed lung and a broken finger.Inspectors concluded the "likely cause" of the walkway floor collapsing was corrosion of a floor plate at its supporting edge.
'Risk of death'
The court heard that immediately after the accident, the gantry was placed out of bounds, dismantled, and removed.Sheriff Keith O'Mahony said that in the case of the auger incident, the victim, for reasons unknown, had departed from safety procedures the company had operated successfully for years.He said: "What I have to assess is not what the injured party did, but rather what he was able to do as a result of the health and safety deficiency."In the case of Mr McMillan, Sheriff O'Mahony said there was "evidence of confusion" between departments as to who had responsibility for maintenance of the gantry.He said: "The injuries sustained were severe, and there was plainly a risk of death. There were a number of other workers engaged in the same project and therefore exposed to the same risk."The risk itself had never been identified, there is no evidence it was going to be, and therefore no evidence remedial work would have been undertaken."The plant was the first factory in the UK to manufacture the natural wood substitute MDF.It is now in Canadian ownership and operates two sites in the UK, at Cowie and Inverness, with the Cowie site employing 320 people.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
34 minutes ago
- The Sun
My stepdad has been keeping a secret stash of deep fake naked photos of me – and he sends them to his mates
1 DEAR DEIDRE: DISCOVERING that my stepdad has a secret stash of naked images of me that he's been sharing with his mates has completely unsettled me. The images are deeply troubling; they are all snaps taken of me, by my mum from holidays or days out over the years. He has then run them through an app to make me look naked. I was so shocked when I saw the images that I confronted him straight away. He didn't really have an explanation. He simply said he'd heard about the app and thought it wouldn't work but was curious and tried it anyway. I'm 24 now and my stepdad has been in my life for 12 years when he and my mum met. My dad had left when I was a toddler and didn't want any part of my life so I was really pleased that my stepdad showed an interest. We have always had a pretty good relationship but even though I realise the naked body isn't mine it still feels like such a betrayal. My stepdad picked me up from a late night out. It was about 1 am in the morning and when we got home we put some cheese and toast on, as is our tradition. He was sorting out the grill when I noticed tonnes of notifications on his mobile which he'd left on the table. Curious, I slid the phone over and saw loads of comments like 'so hot', 'lucky you' and 'perfection'. I easily guessed his code and then the room started to spin when I realised all these men were referring to naked images of me. My stepdad broke out in a sweat when he returned to find me frozen in shock and started muttering that it was just a silly mistake and I should forget about it. Dear Deidre on relationships, jealousy and envy I don't know how I managed it but I got back in the car with him and he drove me home. I've avoided him for the past few weeks and now I'm accelerating my plan of moving out because I can't bear to be near him. But I'm so worried about my mum. How can I tell her what her now husband has done? Wouldn't I be better off finding my own place and avoiding him than ruining everything? DEIDRE SAYS: Your stepdad has completely betrayed you and left you feeling responsible for his appalling behaviour. Now you are even considering a complete relocation, to avoid any confrontation. Firstly your biological father abandoned you. And now your stepdad, a man you hoped would right the wrongs of your biological father, has let you down badly. It seems your step dad has been exchanging these deep fake images of you with acquaintances. Your stepdad may want you to believe that this was 'just a silly mistake' but creating deepfake nudes, using AI technology to depict people in sexually explicit situations and then spreading and sharing them online is deeply troubling. Your stepdad could well be liable for prosecution as exchanging these images online amounts to abuse. I'm sure you have already started to worry what else your stepdad may have hidden away and you'll no doubt be looking back over your life with a whole new perspective and you'll be questioning everything. I know you are worried about telling your mum, but that really is the best thing you can do. Give her the opportunity to support you and help you find a way forward. You deserve that. You can get support from the Revenge Porn Helpline ( And I'm sorry but as your stepdad has shared these images online they may have ended up on adult sites. Please get in contact with Take It Down (takeit d to learn how you can get these images removed. Dear Deidre's Porn Files Deidre's mailbag is stashed full with porn problems. One reader struggled to manage his addiction to racy videos, a different subscriber wrote in because she was being blackmailed with deep fake images by a work colleague, while one man decided to post sexy photos of his wife online. THE LAW: AI DEEP FAKE PORN AI deep fake pornography – where someone's face is digitally superimposed onto a sexualised or explicit body – is one of the fastest-growing and most insidious forms of image-based abuse. These images are often created without the victim's knowledge or consent, and unlike traditional forms of sexual exploitation, they don't require the person to have ever posed nude or even been photographed in a compromising way. The intent is rarely innocent – it's about humiliation, control, or sexual gratification without permission. Until recently, this type of abuse sat outside the boundaries of UK law. But the Online Safety Act 2023 has made it a criminal offence to share explicit deepfake content without the subject's consent. This includes any image or video where a person appears to be engaged in a sexual act or shown nude, regardless of whether it's been digitally manipulated. However, creating or possessing AI-generated nudes – if not shared – remains legally ambiguous. Police response has so far been inconsistent, and many victims report struggling to have their cases taken seriously, especially when the perpetrator is someone they know. Though the images aren't 'real' in the traditional sense, the harm they cause is tangible and can have a lasting impact. Victims report symptoms commonly associated with trauma: shame, anxiety, paranoia, social withdrawal and fear of further exposure. The knowledge that someone – often a colleague, friend, or even family member – has sexualised them without consent is deeply violating and can be traumatic. This is about more than just new technology; it's about power, entitlement and control. AI is simply the tool. The intent is to dehumanise and sexualise without permission. Ask me and my counsellors anything Every problem get a personal and private reply from one of my trained counsellors within one working day. Sally Land is the Dear Deidre Agony Aunt. She achieved a distinction in the Certificate in Humanistic Integrative Counselling, has specialised in relationships and parenting. She has over 20 years of writing and editing women's issues and general features. Passionate about helping people find a way through their challenges, Sally is also a trustee for the charity Family Lives. Her team helps up to 90 people every week. Sally took over as The Sun's Agony Aunt when Deidre Sanders retired from the The Dear Deidre column four years ago. The Dear Deidre Team Of Therapists Also Includes: Kate Taylor: a sex and dating writer who is also training to be a counsellor. Kate is an advisor for dating website OurTime and is the author of five self-help books. Jane Allton: a stalwart of the Dear Deidre for over 20 years. Jane is a trained therapist, who specialises in family issues. She has completed the Basic Counselling Skills Level 1, 2, and 3. She also achieved the Counselling and Psychotherapy (CPCAB) Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Studies. Catherine Thomas: with over two decades worth of experience Catherine has also trained as a therapist, with the same credentials as Jane. She specialises in consumer and relationship issues. Fill out and submit our easy-to-use and confidential form and the Dear Deidre team will get back to you. You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page or email us at: deardeidre@
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Kyiv mayor tells Trump: Come and see my bombed-out city
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, has invited Donald Trump to visit the Ukrainian capital to witness for himself the destructive toll of non-stop Russian bombardment. In an interview with The Telegraph, the former world heavyweight champion boxer said he used to be a tour guide and would be 'very happy' to return to the role for the US president. Besides the city's historical treasures, he 'will be presenting the buildings where civilians have been killed, children killed' in an effort to secure further defensive weapons for Ukraine. The day before meeting The Telegraph in his office in city hall, Russia launched one of its largest bombardments on the capital, firing around 300 drones and seven ballistic and cruise missiles on June 11. On Tuesday, 30 people were killed in a nine-hour-long attack on the city that included a Russian drone flying straight into a residential block, obliterating the building and trapping dozens under the rubble. What was a fairly intermittent threat to one of Europe's largest capitals has become a constant, harrowing bombardment, with residents spending hours each night in shelters as air defences rattle off gunfire to bring down swarms of whining Shaheds. Vladimir Putin can now fire over 4,000 drones at Ukraine per month, a tenfold increase compared to this time last year, following massive investment in manufacturing. 'We need more support,' says Mr Klitschko, leaning his 6ft 7in frame forward across the boardroom table. 'Because more and more drones are coming from the Russian Federation.' Kyiv is one of Ukraine's best-protected cities, using both Patriot air-defence batteries and a network of mobile gun-teams that chase after drones in pick-up trucks. But the sheer volume of attacks means more slip through. Russia's engineers have 'modernised' the Shahed kamikaze drone with their domestically produced variant known as the Geran, says Mr Klitschko. 'They are already much faster. They fly much higher. And sometimes it's very difficult to identify the drones,' he says. The latest Gerans can piggy-back on Ukrainian internet and mobile network systems, making it much harder to detect and spoof them with electronic warfare countermeasures. 'You question why [we need] the United States,' the mayor says. 'Right now we need the defensive weapons, because we are defending our territorial integrity and our independence. 'My first job, many, many, many years ago, before I started my sports club era, was working as a tour guide in my home town. And I will be very happy to make an excursion for Trump.' Getting the attention of the White House is a challenge, one made all the more difficult by the launch of Israel's war against Iran and its nuclear programme. Some 20,000 anti-drone missiles destined for Ukraine were recently transferred to the Middle East. Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, announced that from next year the US will no longer purchase new arms for Ukraine. Mr Trump often appears ringside at the Ultimate Fighting Championship, hugging and posing for pictures with the blood-slicked winners. Could Mr Klitschko, who was known as Dr Ironfist in the ring, appeal to him this way? 'We actually fought in Taj Mahal Palace,' says the mayor, referring to a 2002 bout against Ray Mercer at the president's now-closed casino resort in Atlantic City. The fight, like 45 of his 47, ended in victory for Mr Klitschko, during a period of almost total dominance of the heavyweight division, alongside his brother, Vladimir. 'Trump was in the first row, I guess,' he says. 'And we have good discussion, good communication. I hope it's very soon I have a chance to talk personally to Trump and give him lots of arguments.' In the June 8 barrage, a headquarters of the US defence giant Boeing was struck, along with a building used to process British visas until late last year. 'It is not possible to keep representatives from any country safe,' Mr Klitschko says. Flags, drone parts and a traditional Ukrainian mace adorn the mayor's office. Asked for his favourite memento, Mr Klitschko walks behind his desk and pulls out a photograph of his son, Maxim, as a seven-year-old boy. Then he shows a picture on his phone of himself standing by the side of a much taller man. This is Maxim at 7ft 5in , fully grown and, at the age of 20, a professional basketball player with AS Monaco. 'He makes us look small,' says Mr Klitschko with a smile. 'We hope he will join the NBA.' In Ukraine, debate rages over whether to lower the age of conscription, from 25 to 18, amid growing shortages of manpower. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, has resisted US pressure in favour of a reduction. Cautiously, Mr Klitschko opens a gap between himself and the commander-in-chief. 'If you go to the street and see, from 10 workers, you see seven women and three men,' he says. 'And in other cities the number of men is much smaller.' 'The age of mobilisation is not our responsibility, it's a decision of government, but we have right now a huge deficit of human resources, and, if possible, pretty soon, the central government can make this decision.' Does he think it would be right? Mr Klitschko says 'if we don't have another source' of men it may 'have to be', emphasising each word percussively. For years, Mr Klitschko and Mr Zelensky have been at each other's throats. When he was a comedian, the president played a 'translator' to the mayor in one long-running skit, turning Mr Klitschko's incomprehensible blithering and raspberries – played by an actor – into full sentences. The president appeared to recall the sketch when, in February, he responded to Mr Klitschko's suggestion that Ukraine might temporarily exchange the four regions occupied by Russia for peace. 'I know he's a great athlete,' Mr Zelensky said. 'But I didn't know he was a great speaker.' In the president's eyes, Mr Klitschko has allowed corruption to flourish, doing little to stem the 'Kyiv system' of kickbacks, elite contractors and backroom deals. The national anti-corruption bureau has recently arrested a string of the mayor's subordinates in city hall, with many cases focused on the sale of land permits. To Mr Klitschko, the president is an authoritarian intent on edging him out of power as he fears a rival with international clout. He accuses the president of undermining mayors from opposition parties and replacing them with allies under the guise of separate military administrations, such as that established in Kyiv. In the last couple of years, he says, the prosecutor's office has 'opened 1,500 criminal cases' against his administration. 'Maybe you can take [from this], that the prosecutor's office, police is working pretty well.' But opening criminal cases is 'very, very easy. How many go to court? Just eight'. The focus on corruption is because the 'whole media is in one hand' he claims and 'because a lot of politicians make a huge mistake... preparing for an election' after the war is over. 'Kyiv is one of the largest cities not just in Ukraine but also in Eastern Europe,' he says, adding that Mr Zelensky wants to 'control Kyiv [and] I'm not a member of the president's party'. Critics in the president's office would reply that Mr Klitschko is himself not immune to political manoeuvring. Ending the interview, the former boxer pokes his head back through the door to apologise for his English. 'I don't get much opportunity to practice any more,' says the one-time Los Angeles resident, now never dressed in anything but khaki. Then he is gone, with battles to be fought on all fronts.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Was this divorced American diva the original Meghan Markle? The REAL story of the most divisive person to ever marry into the royal family...
An American divorcee. A dazzling wardrobe. A royal romance that ends in exile. Denied the use of her HRH title, accused of corrupting a prince, cast as a threat to the very survival of the British monarchy and relentlessly vilified by the press. No, not Meghan Markle - but you'd be forgiven for thinking so.
