Kilmeague Company Fined After Man Struck And Killed By Rotating Robotic Arm

Monday, 26 May 2025 14:55

By Martin Osborne

Naas Circuit Court has fined N&C Enterprises Ltd. of Kilmeague, €75,000, along with an additional €4,057 in costs, following the fatal workplace accident.

A company in Kilmeague has been fined €75,000 after a man was was struck and killed by a rotating robotic arm.

Naas Circuit Court has fined N&C Enterprises Ltd. of Kilmeague, €75,000, along with an additional €4,057 in costs, following the fatal workplace accident.

The company, which distributes bagged and bulk stones, had previously pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety legislation.

The case involved the death of Mr. Luis Borges, a Portuguese national and employee of N&C Enterprises Ltd., who was fatally injured while operating equipment under the company’s control.

Mr. Borges had entered a restricted area through a retrofitted gate that bypassed all of the plant’s integral safety protections.

He was struck and killed by a rotating robotic arm.

Mark Cullen, Assistant Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Authority, said, “N&C Enterprises Ltd. failed in their duty to provide a safe place and system of work to Mr. Borges. In today’s workplaces it is not unusual for advanced technology and robotic equipment to be utilised."

He added: "Employers must ensure that all inbuilt safety protective devices are in good working order and that employees are not put in danger by unsafe work practices which bypass these crucial safety devices. In this case, the bypassing of these safety protective devices resulted in a fatal incident that tragically was entirely foreseeable and preventable.”

More from Local News

CCPC Issues Open Letter To Traders Amid Surge In Complaints Over Home Building And Improvement Jobs

The CCPC received almost 1,250 complaints from consumers - prompting the regulator to issue an open letter to the industry and to write directly to nearly 3,000 traders nationwide.
Pizza Vending Machine In Naas Forced To Close Over Anti-Social Activity And Alleged Drug Dealing

The only other pizza vending machine operated by Bosca Pizza is in Newcastle.
BREAKING: DJ Carey Jailed For Five-And-A-Half Years

After passing sentence, the judge said he could not imagine a more reprehensible fraud
Kildare Superintendent Among Officers Promoted As Part Of Senior Garda Operational Reassignments

Among the changes, Superintendent Georgina Gray - who had been serving in Kildare North - has been transferred to the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, where she will take on detective duties.
BREAKING: Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Murder Following Death Of Ryan Weir Gibbons In Kildare Town

Gardaí confirmed the arrest was made this morning, Monday 3rd November, as part of the ongoing investigation.
EirGrid Urges Kildare Communities To Learn About €4.6m Fund At Upcoming Local Workshops

The funding will be released in three phases - when construction begins, mid-way through the project, and once it’s completed.
"Hope At Last" - Horsepasstown Residents May Soon See End To Six-Year Boil Water Struggle

Annette Ward, whose 87-year-old mother Kay Ward is among those affected, told Kfm that work to replace the water pipeline is due to begin in January - and it’s hoped residents could have safe, drinkable tap water by July.
Kildare Among Worst-Hit Counties As Teacher Shortages Hit Special And Disadvantaged Schools

The findings also reveal that a substitution crisis continues to affect a large number of primary schools.