A recent investigation revealed critical safety lapses at a masonry supplier.
- Colinwell Masonry Products was fined £1,000 for failing to secure machinery.
- HSENI inspectors identified access to dangerous moving parts at the site.
- Three prohibition notices were issued to cease operations until safety improved.
- The company had previously received multiple similar notices for safety violations.
The masonry supplier, Colinwell Masonry Products, located in Dunmurry, was fined by Lisburn magistrates following the discovery of significant safety violations. The Health & Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) conducted an investigation that brought to light glaring deficiencies in machinery safety at the manufacturer’s premises. As a result, the company was penalised £1,000 after admitting to the offence.
Inspectors from HSENI identified three separate instances where employees could access dangerous moving parts of the machinery. The inspection, which took place on the 24th of May 2023, revealed that access gates for the machinery did not have effective safety interlocking mechanisms. Specifically, it was found that one gate lacked any interlocked safety feature, while the interlock mechanisms on two other gates were either defeated or broken.
This critical lack of effective safety measures exposed employees to severe risk, including potentially fatal injuries. As a response, HSENI served three prohibition notices, effectively halting the operation of specific machinery segments until adequate safety measures could be implemented to prevent unauthorised access to hazardous parts.
This was not the first instance of safety notices being issued to Colinwell Masonry Products. The company had previously received seven similar prohibition notices, underscoring a pattern of recurring non-compliance with safety regulations. HSENI inspector Kevin Campbell stressed the legal obligation of employers to prevent risk through adequate machine guarding, highlighting the potential for serious accidents when safety features are inadequately maintained or intentionally bypassed.
In his remarks, Kevin Campbell stated, “Employers have a legal duty to ensure employees and others are not put at risk from unguarded machinery.” He further emphasised that HSENI would not hesitate to recommend prosecution against companies that continually neglect to provide secure working environments for their staff.
The persistent safety breaches at Colinwell underline the critical need for stringent adherence to machinery safety regulations.
