Pile of beef fat saves worker in 20-foot fall

A VAT of cholesterol-laden meat fat helped save the life of a worker in Co Limerick.

He toppled nearly 20 feet into the container, but got a soft landing on a pile of beef fat at a meat plant in Rathkeale.

The injured man, who is from Co Wexford, was said to be in a stable condition at the Mid Western Regional Hospital yesterday.

He was working on a huge container used to hold meat fat at the Anglo Irish Beef Producers plant in Rathkeale on Thursday when the accident happened.

According to one source, he was on top of the container when he slipped and fell about 20 feet into the container.

“Luckily there was a few feet of meat fat still lodged at the bottom of the container and when he hit that it helped cushion his fall.”

The emergency services had to mount what was described as a very tricky rescue operation to hoist the man out of the vat.

“The fact that he was lying in a few feet of fat, created problems in getting him strapped to a stretcher,” said the source.

The rescue operation was supervised by County Limerick chief fire officer Carmel Kirby and JJ Riordan of Rathkeale fire brigade.

As it was feared the man had suffered a back injury, special measures had to be taken with the rescue.

An ambulance, which was on standby at the scene, rushed the injured man to the Mid Western Regional Hospital.

The Health and Safety Authority has launched an investigation into the accident.

A spokesman for AIBP Rathkeale said: “We would like to pay tribute to the emergency services for their excellent work at the scene.”

The spokesman said the injured man was working for an outside contractor.

“He is making a good recovery,” he said.

He added that the contractor had assured AIBP that they were in full compliance with their Health and Safety obligations.