A safety probe has been launched on a Royal Navy ship being built at a Scots yard after a contractor was seriously injured.
HMS Glasgow is the first of eight Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates being built for the Navy and is being fitted out at Scotstoun on the Clyde.
BAE Systems has a £4.2billion contract to build the vessels.
Construction of all eight frigates is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s, with the first, HMS Glasgow, entering service by the end of 2028.
We can reveal the Health and Safety Executive launched an investigation after a painter working onboard suffered serious injuries.
It comes after we highlighted last week that fire safety fears had been raised by BAE Systems’ staff working on the ship.
A source said: “The painter who had been working onboard had fallen down stairs. He is understood to have broken his back in the fall.
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“The HSE was quickly called in and an investigation into what led to the incident has now been launched.”
The stairs on board were later cordoned off.
A BAE Systems spokeswoman said: “The safety of all who attend our sites is our priority. A contractor sustained an injury walking down stairs within the ship and we are working with his employer to support his full recovery.
“The Health and Safety Executive has been notified and we are supporting their investigation alongside our own.
“We cannot comment further until the conclusion of the investigation.” Last month, some staff refused to board the ship, raising concerns that not all 400 crew could hear its fire alarm.
The firm addressed staff’s concerns and they returned to work having agreed to have a fire safety drill later that day.
However, during the drill, one member of staff was unaccounted for after not hearing the alarm.
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