Dairymaster Unlimited Company has been fined €400,000 at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to breaches of safety, health and welfare at work legislation.

The Co. Kerry headquartered company, which manufactures dairy equipment, had previously pleaded guilty to six charges in breach of safety, health and welfare at work legislation before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.

Dairymaster Unlimited Company, Causeway, Co. Kerry was convicted and fined a total of €400,000 by Judge Simon McAleese at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court yesterday (Monday, July 27).

The case had come before the court as a result of a fatal work-related incident which had taken place on a dairy farm in County Limerick on July 30, 2020.

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) had carried out an investigation into the work-related incident in Co. Limerick.

Court

Limerick Circuit Criminal Court had heard that a farmer had been "fatally injured from a pneumatic powered parlour back entry gate, designed and manufactured" by Dairymaster Unlimited Company.

This gate was used to control animals in the milking parlour, creating a separation between the holding area and the cow standing area, and keeping the cows in position while being milked.

Judge McAleese imposed a fine of €200,000 on the breach of Section 16(3) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 contrary to Section 77(2)(a).

He also handed down a fine of €200,000 on the breach of Section 16(1)(a) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 contrary to Section 77(9)(a).

The remaining counts were taken into consideration.

Mark Cullen, chief executive officer at the HSA, said, “This tragic incident demonstrates the vital importance of ensuring machinery is properly designed, tested and supplied with adequate safety information.

"The consequences of failing to do so can be devastating.”