FP McCann Limited fined after quarry worker William Houston fatally struck by 99lb falling stone
Quarrying firm FP McCann Limited has been handed a six-figure penalty over the death of a worker at a site.
William Houston was a subcontractor working at the Loughside Quarry on the Belfast Road, south-west of Larne, when he died on April 23, 2023.
The firm was sentenced at a hearing at Antrim Crown Court today after pleading guilty to one breach of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 about ensuring workers are not “exposed to risks”.
It was fined £110,000.
The case had been investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.
It described how Mr Houston, a dumper truck driver, was assigned the of removing stone from a machine called a cone crusher and placing it into stockpiles.
At around lunch time, the machine became blocked by a large weighing approximately 99lb (45kg).
The stone was removed and carried to a raised conveyor catwalk, about 15ft from ground level.
The agency said: “During this move, the stone fell through the railings of the raised conveyor catwalk as Mr Houston was walking below.
"Mr Houston was struck by the falling stone and passed away later in hospital due to injuries sustained.”
Speaking after the hearing, Sophie Pearson, an inspector with the agency’s Major Investigation Team, said: “This was a tragic incident.
"Employers must take adequate measures to prevent materials or objects falling from height.
"They must stop and consider what risks are involved in the task and take the necessary action, so that harm does not occur to employees, or as in this tragic incident, to someone like Mr Houston who was subcontracted to work at the site.
“Where it is not reasonably practicable to prevent objects from falling, employers should take suitable and sufficient measures to ensure that nobody can be injured.
"A simple solution such as an exclusion zone can be easily implemented to reduce the risk to workers.”