Firm fined £165,000 for entangled hoodie death

A firm has been fined £165,000 after the death of a worker whose hoodie was entangled in industrial door equipment.

Father-of-three Mark Mathers, 33, fell unconscious after a spring began to unwind during repairs and his clothing tightened around his neck and body at a car dealership and garage in Aberdeen in 2018.

He was taken to hospital but was declared dead three days later.

His employer, Patrick Forman Industrial Doors, admitted at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to breaching health and safety guidelines.

Jemma Eadie, prosecuting for the Crown, said Mr Mathers and a colleague had been carrying out a repair on an industrial door at Specialist Cars Volkswagen in Aberdeen’s Craigshaw Crescent on 15 September 2018.

Described as an experienced mechanic, his hoodie became caught in a recoiling spring.

The court heard he had been advised not to wear loose clothing.

His colleague tried to get the garment off by hand and by cutting it with a knife.

Mr Mathers was unconscious when paramedics arrived and was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He was declared dead on 18 September.

Defence counsel John Nicolson said Patrick Forman Industrial Doors - based in Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire - had been a family-run business since 1995.

He said the firm had no previous convictions, and deeply regretted the loss of a valued member of staff.

He said the breach of regulations was down to safety documentation being lacking.

Sheriff Christine McCrossan said it was an "awful accident".

She said workers should be protected, and even if she considered Mr Mathers had been told not to wear a hoodie, she was not satisfied he could be criticised.

Sheriff McCrossan added that no financial penalty could ever compensate for what had happened to Mr Mathers of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.

Relatives who were in court declined to comment after the case.

At the time of Mr Mathers' death, a family statement said: "We are devastated by what has happened. Mark will be sorely missed by all who knew him."

Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said: "Mark Mathers lost his life in circumstances which could have been avoided had the risks been recognised and a safe system of work put in place.

“By failing to have suitable measures in place and provide the necessary information to carry out work safely Patrick Forman Industrial Doors put their employees in danger.

“This prosecution should remind employers that failing to take reasonable health and safety measures can have fatal consequences and they will be held accountable for this failure.”