A COMPANY IN Co Mayo has been fined €500,000 following a fatal workplace accident in 2015. 

On 11 June 2015, an employee at Carrowscoilta Quarry, Ballyhaunis, named Joseph Harrington, was fatally injured when he fell into an inadequately guarded stone crusher at the quarry.

The quarry was operated by Harrington Concrete (which is no relation to the employee) and Quarries ULC. 

The company pleaded guilty to three offences until the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work act 2005.

The offences related to the fact that they failed to adequately guard the crusher, that they failed to ensure there were safe systems in place to unblock the crusher and that they failed to ensure the safety statement was in accordance with the legislation. 

Today, at Castlebar Circuit Court, Judge Rory McCabe imposed a fine of €500,000 on Harrington Concrete and Quarries ULC for the three separate breaches. 

“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,” Health and Safety Authority assistant chief executive Mark Cullen said. 

“Furthermore, such measures such be specified in the company safety statement. The failures that continued to this incident are clear and the consequences for Mr Harrington and his family were tragic,” he said.