Omagh based company PFG Plant Hire Ltd have been fined a total of £33,466 this month, after pleading guilty at Dungannon Crown Court to two breaches of health and safety legislation.
The case relates to an incident that occurred on 25 January 2008 on a construction site in Fintona, County Tyrone. Mr Oliver Rutledge, a lorry driver employed by PFG Plant Hire, died when part of a wall he was demolishing fell on him. Another employee escaped with minor injuries. Subsequent enquiries by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSE NI) revealed that the company had not completed a sufficient risk assessment, or developed an adequate safe system of work for their employees.
After the hearing, Kevin Campbell, investigating inspector with the HSE NI said, "It is vital that all companies properly identify and address hazards within the workplace and implement systems to minimise and control risks. These systems need to be communicated to the workforce, implemented, maintained and updated where necessary."
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