Firm fined £600,000 over bridge worker death in Aberdeen

The incident happened in 2016

A firm has been fined £600,000 after a worker died during construction of a new bridge in Aberdeen.

Ian Walker, 58, from Dundee, was crushed by an excavator at the site of the so-called third Don crossing in January 2016.

Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd admitted breaching Health and Safety and Construction Regulations guidelines at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

The £22.3m bridge - named the Diamond Bridge - opened in June 2016.

HSE principal inspector Niall Miller said after the case: "This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the civil engineering company to implement safe systems of work, and to ensure that health and safety documentation was communicated and control measures followed."

In a statement, Balfour Beatty said it had offered its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Ian Walker.

They added: "The safety of the public and our workforce is always our primary concern.

"Balfour Beatty immediately took appropriate corrective action to apply the lessons learnt from this tragic incident and shared them across our business."