Hochtief fined over Glendoe fatality

Hochtief Construction has been fined GBP 266,000 (USD 412,000) at the Inverness Sheriif Court for a breach of health and safety legislation following the death of site worker and ‘telehandler’ operator Ondrej Hladik on 22 September 2008 during construction of Scottish and Southern Energy’s (SSE) Glendoe hydropower project near Fort Augustus, Scotland. Hochtief was part of the Hochtief Glendoe construction joint venture.

Since Hochtief pleased guilty to the charge the fine was reduced from GBP400 000 (USD634 000). Although Hladik, from Prague, was not directly employed, the main contractor Hochtief was still deemed responsible for not ensuring the health, safety and welfare of all site workers.

A statement from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal (COPFS) Health & Safety Division says that the 'telehandler' (rough-terrain forklift truck) driven by Hladik was in extremely poor condition including the absence of a large window that would, if in place, prevented any part of Hladik’s body from being exposed to rick of being struck by the equipment’s boom as it lowered. It is believed that Hladik was leaning through the aperture of the missing window at the time.

There has been a series of safety related incidents on the 100-MW Glendoe project, Scotland’s biggest hydropower scheme for over 50 years. The Health & Safety Executive lists five Prohibition Notices served on Hochtief Glendoe JV relating to 12 breaches of health and safety legislation.

And, after the project became operational and opened by the Queen in Summer 2009, a rock collapse occurred in water-carrying headrace tunnel in August, from which the scheme has not yet been recovered. The latest forecast, last September in SSE’s 5-year programme, for a date to return to operational power generation was 2012 compared to the previous date of April 2011.

Last November SSE confirmed that it had begun consultations about a larger hydropower scheme above Loch Ness, capable of producing six times more power than Glendoe. The project is planned for Balmacaan Estate between Drumnadrochit and Invermoriston.