FP McCann Limited have been fined £150,000 after a worker was fatally injured in an MHE incident.
On 13th March 2015, the employee, Mr Nicholl, was working for FP McCann Limited, whom he had worked for 19 years. Mr Nicholl had been moving materials from a crushing and screening plant to a stockpile area at the quarry, using a dumper truck. Mr Nicholl was found later during his shift fatally injured besides the front wheel of the dumper truck.
The wheels of the truck were lodged in a build-up of materials known as edge protection which is a safety method used in quarries to prevent industrial vehicles driving into pits. During an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following his death, the dumper truck that was being driven by Mr Nicholl was found to have a number of faults including low break efficiencies, no parking brake, no emergency steering and no working seatbelt.
The investigation also found that the edge protection at Knockloughrim Quarry was below the recommended height of 1.5m.
Health and Safety Executive principal Inspector Anne Boylan said: “The vehicle that Mr Nicholl was driving on the day of the incident had not been maintained in a safe condition and was not fit for use in a hazardous environment such as a quarry. Employers must ensure that work equipment, including work vehicles, undergo regular planned maintenance. Failure to do so may result in unsafe vehicles, leading to potentially serious or even fatal accidents. Robust systems must be in place to check that maintenance schedules are adhered to and vehicles are in a safe condition at all times.”
FP McCann Limited pleaded guilty of two breaches of health and safety legislation, receiving £75,000 for each of the fines, totaling £150,000.
Source: BBC News, FP McCann fined £150k after quarry worker death, 31st May 2019. Read the full article.