AN ENGINEER has agreed at the trial of a leading consultancy company that he was responsible for “unfortunate mistakes” which led to the death of a father of two on a Dublin construction site.
Tero Oksanen said that as site agent for the construction firm (not the company facing charges) he had allowed bolts different to those specified by the consultants to be used and then on the day of the tragedy he had not informed the consultancy company that these bolts had slipped away from the staircase walls.
Hanley Pepper Ltd, of Owenstown House, Fosters Avenue, Blackrock, has pleaded not guilty, through Joe Ryan, to failing to design a system that was safe and without risk to the public at South Lotts Road, Ringsend, in February 2002.
The charge details that the company failed to put in place an adequate support system for a staircase having regard to the load it was required to bear.
Michael Jackson (33), of Dun Emer Crescent, Rush, has also pleaded not guilty to the same charge. It was day two of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Thomas O’Neill, a 31-year-old construction worker from Lucan, died at the scene from crush injuries after a concrete staircase fell on him.
Mr Oksanen told prosecuting counsel Mary Ellen Ring SC that he was working with GT Crampton Ltd at the time and had responsibility for the day-to-day running of the South Lotts site.
He said that there was a total of four “stair cores” to be installed in the building and construction was ongoing on the third in December 2002, the first two having been completed almost six months earlier.
Mr Oksanen said that another engineering company was responsible for fixing the bolts to the walls that would hold up steel angles, which would in turn support the precast concrete stairs and landings and that Hanley Pepper Ltd had been responsible for detailing exactly what bolts should be used.
He agreed with Hugh Hartnett SC, defending, that he never informed Hanley Pepper he had directed the engineering company that different but similar bolts could be used, nor did he inform them on the day of the accident that the bolts had slipped away from the wall.
Mr Oksanen accepted that to prevent “risk to life and limb” he should have ordered that the site be closed down and the area be properly inspected.
The trial continues before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.