Dairymaster Unlimited Company has been fined a total of €400,000 after pleading guilty to breaches of health and safety legislation following a fatal workplace incident.
Fatal incident
The incident, which happened in County Limerick, Ireland, in July 2020, saw a farmer fatally injured by a pneumatic powered parlour back entry gate designed and manufactured by the company.
The gate was used to control the movement of cattle within the milking parlour by separating the holding area from the cow standing area and keeping animals in position during milking.
Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard the case on 27 July.
Guilty pleas
Dairymaster Unlimited Company had previously pleaded guilty to six charges under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
Judge Simon McAleese imposed a fine of €200,000 for a breach of Section 16(3) of the Act, contrary to Section 77(2)(a), and a further €200,000 for a breach of Section 16(1)(a), contrary to Section 77(9)(a).
The remaining charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Chief Executive Officer at the Health and Safety Authority, Mark Cullen, said, “This tragic incident demonstrates the vital importance of ensuring machinery is properly designed, tested and supplied with adequate safety information.
“Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure their products are safe for use at work. The consequences of failing to do so can be devastating.”
