A Co. Armagh electrical company was fined £50,000 on 21 March 2019 for a number of failings which resulted in the death of one of its employees at their site in Lurgan.
On the day of the accident a telescopic handler, which was on hire, was used for offloading a pallet from the lorry by an untrained member of staff. It toppled a load over striking Mr Jonathan Peden, who suffered fatal injuries.
The palletised load which weighted over 2 tonnes was not secured, resulting in the lifting robot being unstable, which then resulted in the whole load falling from the forks of a telescopic handler during the operation. The driver of the lorry also sustained minor injuries when he was struck by the falling load.
Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) prosecuted the electrical firm for failing to protect its employees as well as those not in its employment.
Alan Little Ltd. pleaded guilty for breaching Articles 4(1) and 5(1) of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order SI 1978/1039, for which he was fined £45,000 and £5000 respectively.
HSENI Inspector Kyle Carrick said: "Our thoughts are with the Peden family today. Jonathan's tragic death could have been avoided if his employer had properly considered the risks associated with this unloading activity.
"Careful consideration of the risks is vital to ensure practical and often simple measures are put in place to prevent such incidents from occurring.
"Load stability and security are important factors to consider, as is operator training, which is a legal requirement for anyone operating lift trucks, including telescopic handlers.
"Pedestrians and other people who are not directly involved in loading or unloading operations should always be kept clear of dangerous lifting activities."
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