Safety agency in ‘complex’ probe of UCC worker’s death

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is still investigating the death of a popular member of the governing board of UCC in a workplace accident last year.

A HSA inspector, who is not directly involved in the probe, told Cork City coroner Myra Cullinane yesterday that the investigation into Frank McGrath’s death on campus last March is “very complex” and will take “some time”.

Gardaí applied for and were granted an adjournment of the inquest pending the completion of the separate HSA and Garda probes.

The case will be mentioned in the coroner’s court again in April.

The inquest, which was opened and adjourned last July, heard that Mr McGrath, aged 58, from Sarsfield Terrace, Richmond Hill, Cork, died from massive chest injuries due to blunt force trauma on Mar 5, 2013, following an incident on the university campus.

He worked as a member of the buildings and estates department and was working with a cherrypicker machine at the time on maintenance to campus lighting.

HSA inspector Michael O’Flynn is leading the agency’s investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr McGrath’s death under the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 2005.

Mr McGrath was a very popular member of UCC staff who had worked in the university’s maintenance department since 1986.

He was also a respected worker representative on the governing board.