Inquiry set into farm worker's fatal 2024 hay bale accident

The family of a farm worker crushed to death by a hay bale is hoping a forthcoming inquiry will finally provide answers, two years after the tragedy.

Alistair Blair, 64, died on 4 November 2024 after sustaining fatal injuries in a storage shed at Birkenwood Farm near Kippen, Stirling.

The father-of-two and grandfather-of-two was employed by Graham's The Family Dairy and is understood to have been carrying out a task inside a barn containing stacked hay bales.

A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) will examine the circumstances surrounding his death, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for 11 December 2026 at Stirling Sheriff Court.

Mr Blair's family hope the proceedings will establish what happened and help prevent similar tragedies involving agricultural workers.

His daughter, Lisa Blair, spoke of the family's continuing grief in a statement released through solicitors Digby Brown on the second anniversary of his death.

She said relatives had struggled to come to terms with the tragedy because "there’s still so many unanswered questions about what happened".

Ms Blair hopes the inquiry will provide some closure and allow the family to "move on with peace".

She also expressed hope that examining the circumstances could help improve safety for other agricultural workers and spare families from experiencing similar losses.

According to Digby Brown, Mr Blair is believed to have been struck by hay bales that toppled over while he was working inside the storage shed.

A single bale was estimated to weigh approximately 250kg, although the precise circumstances of the incident have yet to be established.

Mr Blair was discovered by a colleague who attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but efforts to save him were unsuccessful.

His death certificate recorded blunt force trauma to the chest as the cause of death, with crushing by a hay bale identified as the mechanism.

Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident, with their findings passed to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

According to the family's solicitors, prosecutors subsequently ruled out bringing a health and safety prosecution against the farm.

However, a fatal accident inquiry is mandatory in this case because Mr Blair died during the course of his employment.

Unlike a criminal trial, an FAI is a fact-finding process intended to establish the circumstances of a death rather than determine criminal responsibility.

It will consider whether reasonable precautions could have been taken to prevent the incident and identify potential measures to reduce the risk of similar fatalities.

The Crown Office formally began the inquiry process on 19 October 2026 by lodging a First Notice with the court.

Debbie Carroll, speaking for COPFS, confirmed that proceedings would take place under the direction of a sheriff.

"Mr Blair’s family will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress," she said.

Mairi Day, a partner at Digby Brown Solicitors representing the family, described Mr Blair's death as tragic and avoidable.

She said that "Legal investigations are at an early stage" and confirmed that the firm would continue supporting the Blair family as they sought to establish what happened.

Her assessment of the circumstances has not been established by the inquiry, which has yet to hear evidence.

The proceedings could also provide lessons for the agricultural sector, where handling and storing heavy hay bales presents potentially serious workplace risks.

For Mr Blair's family, the forthcoming inquiry offers an opportunity to understand how the tragedy occurred and whether anything could have been done to prevent it.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11 December at Stirling Sheriff Court, with further proceedings to be determined by the sheriff.