Salmon farm admit health and safety failure

Mainstream, a subsidary of Cermaq, which employs 130 people throughout Scotland, appeared in Lerwick Sheriff Court following the death on 19 March last year of Shetland salmon worker Martin Ramsay after he fell overboard as his vessel Conquest returned from harvesting fish. Mainstream’s financial controller Roger Dart accepted there had been shortcomings in its health and safety regime, and had spent more than £100,000 improving its safety management systems, the news source wrote. The company was not being charged with any direct responsibility for the death of Mr Jamieson, of Burravoe, Yell, who was survived by a wife and child, and had not been wearing a lifejacket when he fell into the sea. However the subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive and Maritime and Coastguard Agency had revealed an accident waiting to happen, with gaps in the guard rail, obstructions lying around on deck, lack of risk assessments and poor maintenance of lifejackets.