VF Coldstores pleads guilty over employee death

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

VF Coldstores Ltd pleaded guilty to health and safety failings at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, reported on 13 April 2016. The failings involved a forklift and led to the death of warehouse supervisor Robert Ceremuga when racking holding 36 tonnes of food collapsed onto him. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to 6 May for sentencing.

An investigation found that the forklift operator lacked the correct training, the racking was overloaded and pallets should have been removed before work began. The court heard that the company had no previous convictions and had since introduced monthly racking safety inspections.

This report covers an earlier stage of the case. Later developments are not reported here.