Courts / Dublin / Report
Company fined €200k after death of employee
Summary
In a 2016 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, VF Coldstores Ltd was fined €200,000 for health and safety breaches that caused the instant death of warehouse supervisor Robert Ceremuga, 32, when a 36‑tonne racking collapsed onto him on 28 November 2013. The company pleaded guilty, and Judge Melanie Greally imposed a €100,000 fine payable within two years and a second €100,000 payable within four years. The collapse was attributed to an accidental impact with pallets on a forklift operated by a newly hired employee who lacked the proper licence. An engineer's report confirmed the racking was overloaded and pallets had not been removed before the forklift was used. No CCTV footage existed to verify the operative's claim. The court heard that VF Coldstores had a safety statement and risk assessment, but the forklift operator had not received appropriate training.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Company fined €200k after death of employee. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- November 28, 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2016-05-06 Publication
Places mentioned
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