Irish Packaging Recycling Unlimited Company has been hit with a EUR650,000 (USD754,000) fine following an August 2021 accident, where a worker operating a forklift was killed when the vehicle overturned.

In Dublin Circuit Court last week, the company pleaded guilty to two charges under Safety, Health and Welfare legislation - failing to manage and conduct work activities in such a way as to ensure the safety, health and welfare at work of an employee and; failure to ensure the preparation of a report following the examination of equipment by a competent person.

The Irish Health and Safety Authority (HSA) reports the worker was found to be insufficiently trained, “there was no supervision in place at the time of the incident and the deceased was not wearing the seatbelt provided on the forklift truck”.

Mark Cullen, HSA chief executive officer, says: “This tragic incident highlights the critical importance of appropriate training, supervision, and the use of safety equipment when operating machinery”. 

“Employers have a legal and moral duty to ensure that work activities are planned, organised, and carried out in a safe manner,” he continues. “The failure to provide adequate training and supervision in this case had devastating consequences. 

“I recommend all employers to review their safety procedures and ensure that they are compliant with health and safety legislation to prevent devastating incidents such as this one.”