HSA reminds employers of duty of care as firm fined €80,000 over fatal workplace accident

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has issued a reminder to all employers to ensure that their staff have safe work environments after a Co Wexford firm was fined €80,000 over the death of one of its employees who fell from a height during installation work on a building site.

Mark Cullen, Interim Chief Executive Officer, HSA, said that employers have a duty of care to their employees after Drumderry Aggregate Limited t/a Drumderry Pre Cast of Drumderry, Bunclody, Co Wexford pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety legislation.

“Employers have a duty to ensure that workers are protected from any potential hazards that arise in their workplace. Failure to do so in this case has regrettably led to the fatal injury of an employee,” said Mr Cullen.

“Working at height is a known high-risk activity and it is vital that before the commencement of any work activity, employers and duty holders carry out risk assessments and make sure the required safety precautions and appropriate control measures are in place to protect workers.”

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Mr Cullen was speaking after Drumderry Pre-Cast pleaded guilty at Waterford Circuit Court to one charge, a breach Section 8 (2) (a) of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 as relates to Section 77 (9) (a) of the same legislation.

The company had admitted that they failed to manage and conduct work activities in such a way as to ensure the safety of employees and they failed to provide systems of work that were planned, organised, performed, and maintained.

Judge Eugene O’Kelly imposed a fine of €80,000 on the company on foot of the prosecution which arose following a fatal workplace accident that occurred at a partially constructed building in Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow on April 15th, 2019.

An employee of the company, 49-year-old father of two truck driver, John Doyle from Monaughrim, Clonegal in Co Carlow suffered fatal injuries when he fell from a height whilst in the process of installing precast concrete slabs at the first floor level of the building in Leighlinbridge.