Under consideration PE2289: Review crisis intervention and safety measures on Scotland’s bridges
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to strengthen crisis intervention and safety measures on Scotland’s bridges by commissioning an independent national review of crisis identification and intervention on high-risk bridges; establishing minimum standards for monitoring, emergency response times and staff training; requiring bridge operators to assess and introduce evidence-based physical safety measures; and publishing national guidance for preventing deaths at bridges.
Background information
A young person died after entering the River Tay from the Tay Road Bridge during an apparent crisis. This raised serious concerns about how quickly visible distress is recognised, when emergency services are contacted, the training provided to bridge staff, and whether monitoring without effective physical safeguards is sufficient. Bridge operators currently appear able to apply different approaches to crisis prevention and intervention. Scotland needs consistent, evidence-based standards covering risk assessment, physical barriers and other preventive measures, active monitoring, staff training, emergency protocols, response recording and independent review after a death or serious incident. The review should involve bereaved families, clinicians, suicide-prevention specialists, emergency services and bridge operators. National guidance would help ensure that a person visibly in crisis receives the earliest possible intervention, regardless of which bridge they are on.
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