NI glass processing company fined £30,000 after employee dies

A Ballynahinch-based glass processing company has been fined £30,000 for failing to ensure the safety of its employees after the death of a man.

Terry Kilmartin, 65, from Ballynahinch, in County Down was fatally injured while working at the company’s premises on the Belfast Road in Ballynahinch.

During the incident, a large pack of glass, known in industry as an "end-cap", collapsed and fatally struck Mr. Kilmartin, resulting in his death.

Glas-Seal (NI) Ltd was fined on Thursday after pleading guilty to a single breach of health and safety legislation, earlier in October.

This followed an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI)

'Entirely avoidable'

Speaking after the hearing, HSENI Inspector Sophie Pearson said that employers have a legal duty to provide a safe working environment and to implement appropriate control measures when handling heavy loads and materials such as packs of glass or “end-caps”.

"The handling and storage of large packs of glass presents significant risks, and it is essential that these risks are thoroughly assessed and managed to prevent serious incidents," she said

"This accident was entirely preventable and could have been avoided if suitable control measures had been in place to safely secure the large packs of glass," she said.

She said it was critical that businesses handling large heavy goods and materials, ensure that storage processes and safe systems of work are adequate and that employees are "suitably trained to safely work with and process these heavy loads".

Not sufficient measures in place

The HSENI investigation found that Glas-Seal (NI) Ltd did not conduct a comprehensive risk assessment for the storage, handling, and processing of large glass packs.

The body found the company did not have sufficient measures in place, to ensure safe storage of the end-caps, which posed a significant hazard.

It found that the company failed to ensure that employees were properly trained to manage these risks.