A County Mayo manufacturer of concrete and quarry stone has been hit with a €500,000 fine for three separate breaches of health and safety legislation following the death of an employee in 2015.

Harrington Concrete and Quarries ULC worker, Mr Joseph Harrington died after he fell into an inadequately guarded stone crusher at the quarry operated by the company.

The firm pleaded guilt to three charges: failing to adequately guard the crusher; failing to ensure there were safe systems in place to unblock the crusher; and failing to ensure the safety statement was in accordance with the legislation.

-- Advertisement --

Mark Cullen, Assistant Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority, said: "It is vital that employers ensure that they provide safe plant and machinery and that there are appropriate safe systems of work in place designed to protect their employees. Furthermore, such measures should be specified in the company safety statement. The failures that contributed to this incident are clear and the consequences for Mr Harrington and his family were tragic."

Judge Rory McCabe imposed the fine on Harrington Concrete and Quarries ULC yesterday, 06 February, at Castlebar Circuit Court.

(CM/JG)