Company fined €55,000 following serious incident 

Today, in Naas Circuit Court Judge Dara Hayes fined Digby Bridge Sand and Gravel Co. Limited (T/A Dolly Skip Hire) a total of €55,000.

The case related to an incident that happened on the 27th November 2017 whilst carrying out cleaning duties on a conveyer belt an employee of Digby Bridge Sand and Gravel Co. Limited T/A Dolly Skip Hire suffered serious injuries.

Digby Bridge Sand and Gravel Co. Limited, the owners of a Construction and Waste processing facility located at Osberstown Business Park, Carragh, Road, Naas in County Kildare, failed to manage and conduct their work activities in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of their employees.

In particular, they failed to manage and conduct the operation of the processing plant in that fixed guarding of moving parts and interlocking of access doors were not in use, a consequence of which the employee suffered the amputation of his left arm.

The company pleaded guilty to one charge namely Section 8(2) (a) contrary to Section 77 (9) (a) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005.

Other charges relating to Section 19 and Section 8(2)(g) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 and Regulation 33(e) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work General Application Regulations were taken into account in sentencing.

Mark Cullen, Interim CEO, HSA said “It is crucial that employers carry out risk assessments on all areas of work and ensure all precautions are taken to ensure that the safety, health and welfare of their employees carrying out the activity are able to do so safely.

“As can be seen from this particular case, employers who fail to do so significantly increase the likelihood of a serious injury occurring to one of their employees.

“Incidents like this one are preventable.”