Courts / Galway / Report

Lab had to decontaminate first aid room after technician found to have been napping, wearing lead-exposed work gear, tribunal told

Date
2026-07-08
Stage
Hearing Or Decision
Primary locality
Loughrea
County
Galway

Summary

A senior lab technician, Edson Simoa De Morais, has lost his challenge to his dismissal after being found asleep in a first aid room and contaminating it with lead dust from his work gear. The Workplace Relations Commission rejected his claim under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, ruling that there were substantial grounds for his dismissal due to his conduct and failure to comply with health and safety protocols. The company's investigation found that he used the first aid room for non-medical purposes, including sleeping, and actively endangered others by wearing lead-contaminated gear. Despite his legal team's arguments about his workload and the company's safety practices, the adjudicator found that his actions warranted dismissal. The court noted that the first aid room had to be decontaminated after the incident, and the disciplinary process was upheld on internal appeal.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Lab had to decontaminate first aid room after technician found to have been napping, wearing lead-exposed work gear, tribunal told. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

Why: There was a "verbal agreement" between the complainant and his supervisor that he could take his breaks in the first aid room because he was "consistently doing overtime", Ms Feeney submitted. CNI source report

Case subjects

Edson Simoa De Morais

Applicant

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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