Bellingham Farms Unlimited fined following fatal workplace incident in Louth

Bellingham Farms Unlimited in Louth has been fined a total of €8,000 at Drogheda District Court for health and safety breaches following a fatal workplace incident in 2023.

At a sitting on Tuesday 15 July at Drogheda District Court, Judge Nicola Jane Andrews imposed the fines following guilty pleas by the company to two charges under occupational safety and health legislation. 

The court heard that on 14th August 2023, an employee of Solar Power Ireland BK Limited tragically died after falling through a skylight on the roof of an agricultural building at Bellingham Farms, Milestown, Castlebellingham, Co. Louth. 

An investigation by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) found that Bellingham Farms Unlimited Company failed to make the legally required written appointments of a Project Supervisor for the Design Process and a Project Supervisor for the Construction Stage, as set out under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013.

Commenting on the case, Mark Cullen, HSA Interim Chief Executive Officer, said, “This tragic incident highlights the critical importance of ensuring all necessary safety roles are in place before construction work begins. Appointing competent project supervisors is not just a legal requirement, it is a vital step in protecting workers’ lives.

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"The onus is on the client to ensure that each supervisor appointed has adequate training, knowledge, experience and resources for the work to be performed. I urge all employers and duty holders to fulfil their responsibilities under health and safety legislation to prevent such incidents.” 

Bellingham Farms Unlimited pleaded guilty to:

• Regulation 6(1)(a) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 contrary to Section 77(2)(c), in that it failed to appoint in writing a competent project supervisor for the design process for construction work carried out at Milestown, Castlebellingham, Co. Louth.
• Regulation 6(1)(b) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 contrary to Section 77(2)(c), in that it failed to appoint in writing a competent project supervisor for the construction stage for construction work carried out at Milestown, Castlebellingham, Co. Louth. 

Solar Power Ireland BK Limited and its Director, Brian Kelly, had previously pleaded guilty at Dundalk Circuit Court to four offences each under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 in relation to the same incident.