A COUNCIL in Northern Ireland has been fined for failing to ensure the safety of an employee who was killed while working for the local authority.
John Winton was working for Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council when he was hit by a bin lorry in Mount Eden, Limavady on November 6, 2018.
The much-loved father-of-two was aged 51 at the time of his death.
The council, who previously pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees, was fined £75,000 at a sentencing hearing in Antrim Crown Court on June 14.
“Mr Winton tragically lost his life when he was struck by a bin lorry whilst working for Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council,” PPS Senior Public Prosecutor Michael McDaid said following the sentencing.
“Prosecutors in the PPS’s Fraud & Departmental Section worked closely with the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland to build a robust prosecution case,” he explained.
“This resulted in the Council chief executive formally entering a guilty plea and accepting responsibility for the Council’s shortcomings in relation to refuse collection at the time of the incident.”
Mr McDaid claims the outcome of this case should be a warning to all employers to uphold their duty of care to their employees.
“The PPS is committed to working with our enforcement partners to prosecute alleged health and safety offences, where the Test for Prosecution is met,” Mr McDaid said.
“The outcome of this case must serve as a stark warning to employers to implement comprehensive health and safety measures to prevent individuals from being endangered and avoid any further tragic loss of life.
“Mr Winton was a much-loved father who is sorely missed by his family and all those who knew him,” he added.
“This case demonstrates the devastating consequences that arise when the correct protocols are not in place.”