Fire safety fears caused staff building a Royal Navy vessel in one of Scotland’s major shipyards to down tools, the Sunday Mail can reveal.
HMS Glasgow is the first of eight Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates being fitted out at Scotstoun on the Clyde as part of a £4.2billion contract handed to BAE Systems.
But staff working on the vessel say they can’t hear the fire alarm on all levels, which earlier this month led to some refusing to go on board temporarily.
A BAE Systems boss addressed workers’ concerns on site and staff then returned to work having agreed to have a fire safety test drill later that day.
But during the drill one worker is said to have been left unaccounted for after not hearing the alarm.
Fire safety is a huge concern during construction on labyrinthine military vessels.
In 1976 eight men were killed in a fire on board a Navy destroyer – also called HMS Glasgow – while it was being fitted out on Swan Hunter’s Neptune yard on the River Tyne.
A source said: “The ship is huge. It is state- of-the-art but much like a rabbit warren in many ways, with many different levels and compartments.
“The crew had raised concerns that not everyone could hear the alarms and took their concerns to the health and safety officer on site, with some refusing to board for work.However, after reassuring staff of the procedures they have in place, a fire safety test was agreed for later that afternoon.
“It was during a headcount they discovered one member of staff was missing and hadn’t heard the alarm.”
BAE Systems confirmed the incident and insisted the issue has been rectified. It said: “We have a robust and multi-layered safety system on our ships which includes alarms, air horns and rigorous muster procedures and processes.
“These arrangements worked as they were designed to do on the day in question and, once this was explained by our delivery director who is responsible for the safety of everyone on board the ship, normal working resumed straight away.
“Full activities have continued on board since and, in close collaboration with our workforce, a further fire drill has been conducted.”
Earlier this month the first steel was cut on HMS Sheffield, the Navy’s fifth Type 26 frigate, at BAE Systems’ Govan yard.
Defence procurement minister Maria Eagle said: “This demonstrates our commitment to supporting thousands of skilled jobs and economic growth across Scotland and the wider UK.”
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