Worker feared job loss if safety concerns voiced

A concrete company employee whose co-worker died said he had safety concerns but feared he would lose his job if he voiced them, an inquest has heard.

Barry Gargan, from Piercetown, Dunboyne, Co Meath, was crushed beneath a cleaning arm inside a safety cage containing production machinery at a Kilsaran concrete plant in Meath on September 6, 2011.

The company was fined €1m at the Court of Appeal in relation to the man’s death last month.

Witness Chris Bagnall, who was operating a control panel outside the cage, said he had safety concerns around the production methods for a particular type of concrete kerbing but was afraid to raise the issue.

“I didn’t say anything to anyone because I was afraid I would lose my job,” Mr Bagnall said at Dublin Coroner’s Court.

He said he could see the two employees operating within the cage but he had to turn away in order to operate the control panel. The procedure required the machine to be switched from automatic to manual as part of the production process, the court heard.

“When I restarted the machine to move onto the next panel, that’s when the accident happened,” he said.

Another employee, Michael Munster, was working inside the cage with Mr Gargan. “He [Mr Gargan] was usually a forklift driver, he was filling in for a guy that morning,” said Mr Munster.

Kilsaran group health and safety officer Tony Reville said he had never seen anyone behind the safety barrier before and was not aware of this practice.

He said there is a sign on the cage door stating “no unauthorised access” but admitted under questioning that there was nothing in the company safety document stating that workers should not be inside the safety cage.

Kilsaran was fined €125,000 by Judge Michael O’Shea at Trim Circuit Criminal Court on February 18, 2016.

The DPP sought a review of the fine on grounds that it was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal agreed and increased it to €1m last month.

The inquest before coroner Myra Cullinane was adjourned until July to hear evidence from two more witnesses.