A road surfacing company has been fined €270,000 following a tragic workplace accident that claimed the life of one of its employees. The incident occurred during road resurfacing works when a worker, who had been gathering up safety signage, was fatally struck by a reversing roller used to compact chips into newly laid tar.
The case was heard last week at the Circuit Criminal Court sitting in Tralee. The company pleaded guilty to two charges under Section 8 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. These charges relate to the employer’s failure to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, a safe system of work and to manage the work in a way that safeguarded the health and safety of employees.
The court found that the company had failed to plan, organise, and maintain the resurfacing operations in a safe manner. This failure directly contributed to the fatal injuries sustained by the employee.
Frank O’Meara, Managing Director at Trant O’Meara Group, commented:
“This case is a heart-breaking reminder of the human cost of safety failures. No worker should be placed at risk by inadequate planning or poor control measures, especially when working around heavy machinery. It’s vital that companies treat safety as a proactive and continuous process, not a reactive obligation after something goes wrong.”
This case serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of workplace safety and the responsibilities employers have under health and safety legislation. A detailed report on this case will be featured in the September issue of Health & Safety Review, due to be published on August 29th.
Reference:
DPP for HSA v Colas Contracting Limited, Tralee Circuit Criminal Court, July 2025
