A Kildare-based company has been fined €225,000 at the Kildare Circuit Court, following a workplace fatality on their premises.
What happened?
On 14 May 2020, an employee suffered fatal head injuries while working as a packer in the company’s facility. While operating a vacuum packing machine, the employee sustained critical injuries when the lid of the machine closed on him.
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) conducted an investigation into the incident and found several safety breaches. The investigation concluded that the company had not properly maintained the machine, had failed to conduct sufficient inspections of the machine, and did not address corrosion and deterioration issues that made the equipment unsafe.
The company pleaded guilty to multiple breaches of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, and related regulations.
What should employers learn from this?
This story is a crucial reminder that employers have a duty of care towards their employees, and that heavy machinery must be maintained and assessed on a regular basis.
To ensure the safety of employees in the workplace, employers should:
- Maintain equipment and machinery: Employers should carry out regular maintenance on all machinery and equipment used in the workplace, particularly machinery that is used for high-risk activities or in high-risk environments.
- Inspect machinery: Equipment and machinery should be inspected on a regular basis to ensure that there are no faults or damage to its structure or functioning. Records should be kept of all inspections carried out.
- Conduct regular risk assessments: As well as inspecting the machine itself, employers should conduct thorough risk assessments of all high-risk activities and put control measures in place to mitigate any risks that may arise.
- Update Health & Safety documentation: Employers are required to keep thorough records of all relevant Health & Safety documentation, and to make these documents available to employees. Key documents include a safety statement and up-to-date records of risk assessments.