Concrete specialist FP McCann has been fined £110,000 after a subcontractor died at its quarry in Larne, Northern Ireland.
William Houston, a dumper-truck driver at the Loughside Quarry, died on 23 April 2023 after being hit by a 45-kilogram stone, the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) said in a statement.
Houston had been removing stone from a cone crushing plant and placing it into stockpiles, the HSENI said. The plant had stopped and a blockage was reported, it added.
The crushing plant was disconnected and a large stone was observed to be causing the blockage, the HSENI said.
The stone was removed by hand and carried to a raised conveyor catwalk about 1.5 metres above ground level, it said.
But during this move, the health and safety watchdog added, the stone fell through the railings of the catwalk while Houston was walking below.
He was “struck by the falling stone and passed away later in hospital due to injuries sustained”, the HSENI said.
It added that its investigators worked closely with Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service to build a “robust” case.
FP McCann pleaded guilty to an offence under Article 5 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 and was fined £110,000 at Antrim Crown Court on 13 March, the HSENI said.
After the hearing, HSENI inspector Sophie Pearson said: “This was a tragic incident. Employers must take adequate measures to prevent materials or objects falling from height.”
She added: “A simple solution such as an exclusion zone can be easily implemented to reduce the risk to workers.”
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Ben Vogel