Alan Brisbane, 60, Charles Emslie, 71, Colin Gibson, 62, Dale Pattinson, 36, Hugh MacPhail, 75, and James Smith, 74, all died following falls from height at farms across Scotland. 

A preliminary hearing will be held on 19 November 2025 at Falkirk Sheriff Court.

The purpose of an FAI includes determining the cause of death, the circumstances in which the death occurred, and to establish what reasonable precautions could have been taken to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.

The procurator fiscal will provide detailed and comprehensive evidence to the Inquiry on the facts and circumstances of these six deaths. It will include a consideration of evidence on safety when working at height and awareness of and adherence to Health and Safety Executive guidance for working at height.

Procurator fiscal Andy Shanks 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.”