An order closing down a building site at Clondalkin, Dublin, was issued by the High Court yesterday because of unsafe working conditions. Ms Justice Carroll granted an injunction to the Health and Safety Authority shutting down a site at the Old Mill, Clondalkin, operated by Dawndale Developments Ltd, of Caragh, Naas, Co Kildare.
Mr Fergal Foley, for the authority, said he was applying for the injunction on foot of an affidavit sworn by Mr Jim Holmes, an inspector with the authority.
Mr Holmes said he first visited the site on April 16th when he observed no side protection in place. He said harnesses or other devices to prevent persons from falling were not in use, ladders in use were not tied and stairwells were unprotected.
He visited the site again on May 20th after getting an anonymous verbal complaint and found that scaffolding was not tied and stairwells were still unguarded.
On June 18th, he revisited the site following another complaint again observed breaches of statutory duty in relation to scaffolding and stairwells. He carried out a follow-up inspection on July 23rd. Again, scaffolding was not properly tied or adequately protected and there were unprotected stairwells.
Mr Holmes stated that it was clear from previous visits that the issue of notices and advice letters would be ineffective since previous enforcement notices and advices had been regularly ignored and no remedial action carried out. He considered the risk to the safety and health of persons who were or might be on the site to be so serious that its use as a place of work should be immediately prohibited until specified measures were taken to reduce the risks to a reasonable level.
Ms Justice Carroll issued an injunction preventing the company from using the site until such specified measures were taken. The order applies until August 11th. The defendants may also apply to vary the order at 48 hours notice.