A court in Ireland last week fined Colas Contracting Limited €270,000 following the death of a worker on a paving project in 2020.
Judge Ronan Munro of Tralee Circuit Court imposed the fine on Thursday 17 July, citing two breaches of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
The worker, Andrew Fleming, was killed by a road roller during road resurfacing works on the R551 at Meelcon, Tarbert, Co. Kerry on 11 August 2020.
Colas Contracting pleaded guilty to two charges under the Act: failing to provide a safe system of work, and failing to ensure the safety of its employees, reports Ireland’s Health and Safety Authority (HSA).
The road roller driver also pleaded guilty to two charges under the Act, the Irish Independent reports.
“Working in and around plant and equipment is one of the main contributing factors in workplace fatalities and serious non-fatal incidents,” said the HSA’s interim chief executive Mark Cullen.
“Work activities that involve plant and equipment must be planned and organised in such a manner that the work can be carried out safely. Employers must ensure that the plant and equipment used in the work activities are fitted with the necessary and fully functional safety devices. Failure to do so can lead to tragic accidents, as can be seen in this case.”
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