Kildare firm fined €75,000 following death of worker

A Kildare company has been fined €75,000 following the death of a worker in 2019.

N&C Enterprises Ltd. of Kilmeague was ordered to pay the sum plus costs of €4,057 by Judge Marina Baxter at Naas Circuit Court on Monday for breaches of charges under health and safety legislation.

During previous court dates, N&C Enterprises Ltd had pleaded guilty to the breaches under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 Luis Borges (a Portuguese national), an employee of N&C Enterprises Ltd, was fatally injured on 15 February 2019 while operating equipment under the control of the company. Mr Borges entered into the danger zone through a retrofitted gate which by-passed all the integral safety protective features of the plant when he was struck and fatally injured by a rotating robotic arm.

Mark Cullen, Assistant Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority, said: “N&C Enterprises Ltd. failed in their duty to provide a safe place and system of work to Mr. Borges. In today’s workplaces it is not unusual for advanced technology and robotic equipment to be utilised. 

"Employers must ensure that all inbuilt safety protective devices are in good working order and that employees are not put in danger by unsafe work practices which bypass these crucial safety devices. In this case, the bypassing of these safety protective devices resulted in a fatal incident that tragically was entirely foreseeable and preventable.”