A FATAL Accident Inquiry into the death of a man killed when he was reportedly struck by the boom of a crane during the construction of the new Queensferry Crossing could last up to nine days, a court was told today (Thursday).

John Cousin, 62, was reportedly directing the crane on the north tower deck of the new bridge when the incident occurred on April 28 2016 -International Workers' Memorial Day.

When the tragedy happened, Mr Cousin, from Northumberland, had just taken part in a minute's silence to honour people around the world who died at work.

Crane company the GGR Group and the consortium that built the £1.35 billion bridge, Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors, will both be represented at the inquiry, which will start at Stirling Sheriff Court on November 20.

The GGR Group will be represented by health and safety legal expert Peter Gray QC, who represented the local authority in the Glasgow bin lorry FAI, while Murdo Macleod QC, who represented the aircraft manufacturer in the North Sea Super Puma inquiry, will appear for the consortium.

The inquiry is being held in Stirling as under FAI legislation, inquiries can be held anywhere within a sheriffdom where a death occurred.

Sheriff William Gilchrist, who will conduct the inquiry, ordered parties to re-appear at a further preliminary hearing on November 6, to make sure all is ready.

Mr Cousin, a banksman, is understood to have suffered severe blood loss and was pronounced dead shortly after emergency services were alerted to the accident at about 12.20pm.

At the time, Pat Rafferty, the Unite union's Scottish secretary, offered his "profound condolences" to Mr Cousin's family.

He added: "A loved one has gone to work and will not return home. That is hard to swallow any day but on today of all days, International Workers' Memorial Day, when we remember those who have perished at work, this loss is especially poignant."

David Climie, Transport Scotland's project director for the bridge, later told the Scottish Parliament that "fundamental health and safety failures" had not been detected.

He said: "The activity that was going on when the fatality occurred was a routine bit of maintenance on a bit of plant that could have been in use on any construction site in the UK.

"That was the biggest frustration to us. Regrettably within our industry that is very often the case - that it's the everyday mundane things that come and bite you. And that's deeply regrettable to our whole industry."

The Crossing was officially opened by the Queen on September 4, 53 years to the day after she opened the adjacent Forth Road Bridge.

There are plans for a Memorial to Mr Cousin to be unveiled later this year and his family were among those to walk over the Crossing just before it's official opening.