An experienced electrician was killed when he became trapped by the blades of a badly guarded fan at Europe’s only underground quartz sand mine. Colin Thwaites, 61, was inspecting storm damage at Lochaline Quartz Sand Limited’s mine in the Highlands when an apprentice discovered him fatally wounded.
Fatal Incident Details
Mr Thwaites was fatally struck by the blades of a fan circulating air through the mine, which was not adequately guarded, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). He had arrived for his day shift to help restore power following damage caused by Storm Ashley on October 21, 2024. While working alongside an apprentice to disconnect a communications cable near one of the mine’s BORA fans, he was sucked into the blades. His colleague found him trapped in the fan, having suffered fatal injuries.
Mine Background
Explosives are used at the Lochaline mine, which has operated since 1940 in the rolling hills and icy lochs of the Morvern Peninsula. The mine produces silica sand of exceptional quality: very low in iron and very white, a material particularly suitable for the production of energy-efficient glass.
HSE Investigation Findings
HSE inspectors found significant areas of mesh were missing, and wire showed heavy corrosion on their broken ends, indicating they were not freshly broken by contact with Mr Thwaites. The investigation revealed a series of serious failings in how the fan had been modified, commissioned, and maintained. When inspectors examined the fan the day after the incident, the intake guard was found to be in a seriously degraded condition. Had the guard been properly designed and maintained, HSE said it is likely it would have prevented the fatal incident.
Kevin Wilson, HSE’s chief inspector of mines and quarries, stated: “This was a tragic and entirely preventable death. Colin Thwaites was a highly-experienced mining professional with decades of service. He should have gone home to his family that day. Our investigation found that when the fan was modified, the risks were not identified. The guarding that was put in place was inadequate from the outset and its deteriorating condition went unnoticed because there was no proper maintenance regime in place.” He continued: “Mine operators have clear legal duties to ensure equipment is safely commissioned and maintained. Where those duties are not met, the consequences can be fatal.”
Legal Proceedings
Lochaline Quartz Sand Limited, of European Technical Centre, Hall Lane, Lathom, in Ormskirk, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) and section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £11,250 at Inverness Sheriff Court on June 16 this year.
