Write a comment
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority has been fined £80,000 following the death of their employee Kevin McGeough in July 2019 after he was struck by an industrial loading shovel in the dockyard area.
The 58 year old was fatally injured on 18 July 2019 whilst carrying out cleaning and tidying duties, including using a power washer in and around Berth . Mr McGeough was working close to the travel route of two large loading shovels that were being used to transfer wood chip from one part of the berth to another area approximately 150 yards away when he was struck and run over by a 20 tonne Volvo loading shovel.
At the time of the incident, the loading shovel was carrying two tonnes of wood chip in its 1.69 metre high shovel bucket. The investigation revealed that workplace transport risks were not being adequately managed within the port, with an absence of clearly identified, segregated and physically protected routes for pedestrians to safely move about.
Following a joint investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and the Police Service for Northern Ireland, Warrenpoint Harbour Authority pleaded guilty to two health and safety offences at Newry Crown Court yesterday, 21 November. Prosecutors in the PPS's Fraud and Departmental Section worked closely with HSENI and the PSNI to build a robust prosecution case.
HSENI Major Investigation Team Inspector Kevin Campbell said vehicles at work continue to be a significant cause of fatal and major injuries in Northern Ireland. "Effective control measures must be put in place and maintained. Such controls may be relatively simple and do not need to be complicated. Detailed advice on managing workplace transport risks is readily available to employers," he said.
Inspector Campbell added that the tragic death was completely preventable, warning that HSENI will not hesitate to take enforcement action to ensure workplace transport risks are appropriately managed. Enforcement action was taken by Health and Safety Inspectors following the incident to ensure steps were taken to allow pedestrians and vehicles to circulate in a safe manner around the port.
The principles of managing workplace transport fall into three main areas, namely safe site which ensures effective segregation of vehicles from pedestrians, safe vehicle which considers the most appropriate vehicle for the task and environment, and safe driver which focuses on the competence and behaviour of those who operate vehicles.
Further information on the legal requirements of managing workplace transport can be found on HSENI’s website www.hseni.gov.uk
