Colas Contracting fined €270,000 following fatal incident

Company prosecuted by HSA after employee killed during road resurfacing work in Co. Kerry

COLAS Contracting Ltd have been fined €270,000 for two breaches of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, following a work-related fatal incident which occurred during road resurfacing works on the R551 at Meelcon, Tarbert, Co. Kerry, on 11 August 2020.

At Tralee Circuit Court earlier this week, the company pleaded guilty to two charges under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. Judge Munro imposed the €270,000 fine on Colas Contracting for a breach of Section 8(1) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, as it relates to Section 8(2)(e) of the Act. The second charge, related to Section 8(2)(a) of the Act, was taken into account.

Mark Cullen, interim chief executive officer of Ireland’s Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said: ‘Working in and around plant and equipment is one of the main contributing factors in workplace fatalities and serious non-fatal incidents.

‘Work activities that involve plant and equipment must be planned and organized 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.’