Court Case highlights responsibilities of Company Directors
Friday 11th December
The Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority, Mr. Martin O’Halloran, has today (Friday 11th December) called on directors and senior managers of all companies to ensure that worker health and safety is given a high priority as the consequences for not doing so can be tragic.
His comments came after penalties totalling €350,000 were handed down to Owencrest Properties (€100,000) and Roscommon Building Co. Ltd (€200,000) and to company director Sean Doyle (€50, 000) by Judge Michael White in Roscommon Circuit Court today. The case was taken after serious breaches of health and safety legislation led to the death of an employee of Owencrest Properties Ltd, Mr. Czeslaw Malinowski.
The fatal accident to Mr. Malinowski occurred on April 14th 2006 on Main Street, Roscommon Town where Roscommon Building Company Ltd. was responsible for power-washing the façade of a three story building. Mr. Malinowski died when a cage fell from a teleporter as a result of not being properly secured.
Mr. O’Halloran said the case should be a warning to all those in control of a place of work. “The law clearly states that directors and senior managers have responsibilities to safeguard the safety, health and welfare of their employees. The consequences for failing to do so were tragic in this case.”
“My sympathies are with the wife of Mr. Malinowski. I understand that nothing can ever make up for her loss but I hope that today’s sentencing can give her some closure and act as a deterrent to other directors and senior managers who are not taking their legal and moral duties seriously.”