Gleeson Concrete fined €75,000 for safety failings
Company prosecuted after employee suffers serious injuries while clearing blocked auger
GLEESON Concrete, based in Co. Tipperary, Ireland, have been fined €75,000 for breaches of health and safety legislation.
Waterford Circuit Court heard how, on 31 March 2021, an employee of the company suffered serious injuries when his right hand was amputated while clearing a cement blockage from an auger at the company’s concrete block-making plant at Donohill, Co. Tipperary.
Gleeson Concrete, who pleaded guilty to breaching Section 8 (2)(a) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 as it relates to Section 77 (9)(a), in that they failed to manage and conduct work activities in such a way as to ensure the safety of employees, were fined €75,000.
Mark Cullen, assistant chief executive of Ireland’s Health and Safety Authority (HSA), said: ‘Certain work activities involve hazards that may have significantly higher levels of risk that give rise to the potential for serious personal injury if not identified and managed appropriately.
‘It is essential that employers manage and conduct the work activities being carried out at the place of work to ensure the safety, health, and welfare of all employees.’
