An inquest into the death of Stephen Hamilton, a 43-year-old scaffolder from Athboy, Co Meath, who died after a fall at a building site in north Dublin, revealed concerns about safety conditions and the lack of personal protective equipment worn by the deceased. The investigation found that the scaffolding appeared to be properly erected, but the inquest highlighted the importance of enforcing safety regulations and wearing appropriate safety gear.
The family of a scaffolder who died in a fall at a building site in north Dublin expressed concerns about health and safety conditions at the construction project. Stephen Hamilton, a 43-year-old father of three from Newman's Mills, Athboy, Co Meath, sustained a severe head injury during the accident at the Killeen, Oldtown, Co Dublin site on October 12, 2021. He died later that day in Beaumont Hospital.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) found that the scaffolding appeared to have been erected properly, and other workers on the site had been satisfied with its condition. However, the inquest heard that Mr. Hamilton was not wearing a hard hat or safety harness at the time of the fall, which he usually did. A work colleague, Ken Hyland, said he heard a loud thump and saw Mr. Hamilton fall from a height of about 12 feet onto the concrete floor of a conservatory under construction. Airside Scaffolding Contractors (also known as CB Scaffolding), the company Mr. Hamilton worked for, was successfully prosecuted for a breach of workplace health and safety legislation in 2023 and fined €500. The owner of the property, Joe Collins, was also found guilty of breaches of building regulations and fined €500. The deceased's mother, Christine Hamilton, expressed her heartbreak over her son's death and the difficulty she faced speaking about the incident. She also shared the struggle of coping with the loss of both her son and her husband, who died from cancer in May 2023. The inquest heard Mr. Hamilton's life-support machine was turned off at 6.50pm on October 12, 2021, and he was pronounced dead ten minutes later. The victim's younger brother, Stephen Hamilton, who also works as a scaffolder, stated that he became extremely anxious about his own safety at work, constantly replaying his brother's accident in his mind. He emphasized that scaffolding is one of the most dangerous jobs in the construction sector and scaffolders should not be allowed near a site without proper safety equipment.
Scaffolding Construction Accidents Workplace Safety Fatal Injury Health And Safety Authority (HSA) Dublin
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