Co. Antrim firm fined after two people received serious injuries

A Co. Antrim firm was fined £30,000 yesterday after two people, one of whom was an employee, suffered serious injuries when an overloaded racking system fell on them.

McAuley Precision Limited in Ballymoney, pleaded guilty to three health and safety breaches at Antrim Crown Court, when the two people sustained serious injuries after stainless steel tubes / pipes fell on them from an overloaded Cantilever racking system. Both individuals suffered a number of serious crush injuries in relation to the incident.

HSENI Inspector Lee Dougan said: “The investigation found that the racking was substantially overloaded prior to the accident. The company also failed to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment regarding the loading of the racking. The maximum safe working load and design configuration for any racking installation should be conspicuously displayed and never exceeded. Racking should always be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

“This incident was entirely foreseeable and could have been avoided if simple control measures had been put in place.”

Further information is available within HSE guidance documents and in particular HSG76 - Warehousing and storage

Notes to editors: 

1. Breaches and fines for McAuley Precision Limited are as follows:
a) Article 4(1) of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order  1978: fine £10,000;
b) Article 5(1) of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978: fine £10,000;
c) Regulation 3(1) of the management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000: fine £10,000.

2. McAuley Precision Limited, a Private Limited Company, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Leumas Holdings Limited on 3 July 2019.

3. For media enquiries please contact HSENI Press Office on 028 9024 3249, or email media@hseni.gov.uk

4. For Out of Office Hours please contact the Duty Press Officer on 028 9037 8110.

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