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19/11/2004
Construction firm hit by record fine over worker's death
A Dunmurry-based construction firm has been fined a record £100,000 after pleading guilty to breaches of health and safety legislation which lead to the death of a 20-year-old construction worker.
Farrans Construction Limited employee Gregg Cousins was electrocuted when an excavator being used during night-time work on the M1 touched overhead high voltage electric cables.
Farrans pleaded guilty to charges of failing, as the main contractor, to ensure that Mr Cousins who was employed by their sub-contractor R. Coulter and Company was not exposed to risks to his health and safety, failing to prepare a risk assessment and failing to ensure that the lifting operation was properly planned by a competent person.
In imposing this record fine Judge Mr Curran said: “The fine had to reflect the gravity of the incident and to send a clear message to the construction industry that health and safety regulations must be adhered too.
“The objective of the regulations is to provide protection for workers. A risk assessment should have been carried out and control measures identified. Everything that could have been done by Farrans was not done.”
R. Coulter and Company for its part also pleaded guilty and was fined £2,500 as the Judge explained because they were a small contractor denied a risk assessment and as such had very little chance to prevent the accident.
Farrans Construction Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of CRH plc, the multi-national building materials group, which employs over 50,000 people world-wide.
(MB/SP)
Farrans Construction Limited employee Gregg Cousins was electrocuted when an excavator being used during night-time work on the M1 touched overhead high voltage electric cables.
Farrans pleaded guilty to charges of failing, as the main contractor, to ensure that Mr Cousins who was employed by their sub-contractor R. Coulter and Company was not exposed to risks to his health and safety, failing to prepare a risk assessment and failing to ensure that the lifting operation was properly planned by a competent person.
In imposing this record fine Judge Mr Curran said: “The fine had to reflect the gravity of the incident and to send a clear message to the construction industry that health and safety regulations must be adhered too.
“The objective of the regulations is to provide protection for workers. A risk assessment should have been carried out and control measures identified. Everything that could have been done by Farrans was not done.”
R. Coulter and Company for its part also pleaded guilty and was fined £2,500 as the Judge explained because they were a small contractor denied a risk assessment and as such had very little chance to prevent the accident.
Farrans Construction Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of CRH plc, the multi-national building materials group, which employs over 50,000 people world-wide.
(MB/SP)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:The day will be very windy with strong to gale force westerly winds becoming occasionally severe along the north coast. Sunny spells will be interspersed with scattered showers. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:West to northwest gale force winds, severe along the north coast, will continue overnight. Frequent showers persist, merging into longer periods of rain at times and turning wintry. Minimum temperature 1 °C.
