Six Scottish farmers and farm workers who lost their lives in falls from height will be the focus of a major Fatal Accident Inquiry announced by prosecutors.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has lodged a First Notice with the Sheriff Court to start proceedings for the inquiry.
The preliminary hearing will take place at Falkirk Sheriff Court on 19 November 2025. Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of fatalities in the UK farming sector, underscoring the wider importance of the inquiry.
The men who died were identified as Alan Brisbane, 60, of A and K Farming in Stirling, who lost his life in September 2023 after falling in a barn, and Charles Emslie, 71, of Law Farm in Aberdeenshire, who died in September 2024 after falling through a grain store skylight.
They also included Colin Gibson, 62, a self-employed property maintenance worker, who died in April 2022 after falling through the roof of a cow shed at Littlehill of Knaven Farm in Peterhead, and Hugh MacPhail, 75, of Callachally Farm on the Isle of Mull, who died in July 2023 after falling through the roof of a sheep shed.
The other two victims were Dale Pattinson, 36, director of DWP Roofing and Cladding Ltd, who died in August 2023 after falling through a cattle shed skylight at Bassendean Farm in the Scottish Borders, and James Smith, 74, of Bowhouse Farm in Stewarton, who died in August 2024 after falling through a cow shed roof.
Fatal Accident Inquiries are held to establish the facts and circumstances of deaths, rather than to apportion blame. They seek to identify causes and determine what reasonable precautions could have been taken to prevent future tragedies.
The Procurator Fiscal will present detailed evidence on the circumstances of each death, including workplace safety and compliance with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance on working at height.
Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for COPFS, said: “The deaths of Alan Brisbane, Charles Emslie, Colin Gibson, Dale Pattinson, Hugh MacPhail and James Smith occurred while in the course of their employment and as such a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory.
“Their tragic deaths are a sad reminder of the danger of working at height. It is my hope that this FAI will raise awareness on safe practices when working at height.
“The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff. The families will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress.”
The FAI will hear evidence from investigators, landowners, and safety authorities. It will examine whether improvements to safety awareness or farm infrastructure could reduce the risks associated with working at height.
The findings will be published following the hearings, with recommendations expected on how future fatalities might be avoided.
The inquiry also comes against a wider backdrop of concern about falls from height across farming and construction. In the past decade, more than 100 people have died in such incidents across Northern Ireland and the Republic, prompting a new joint safety campaign.
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) in the Republic have launched a month-long inspection drive this October, targeting unsafe practices linked to working at height on both farms and construction sites.
