GARDAÍ AND Health and Safety Authority inspectors have started investigations into the cause of an industrial fatality in which a 27-year-old man died yesterday.
Kenneth Murphy, from Belgooly, outside Kinsale, was pronounced dead at the scene after he was overcome by fumes while working to clear sewage from storage tanks at a hotel in Garryvoe in east Cork at 2.20pm.
A 32-year-old man involved in the incident, whose injuries were not life-threatening, was brought to Mercy University Hospital in Cork by ambulance where his condition was said to be stable.
The two were working to clear septic tanks at the Garryvoe Hotel in Ballycotton Bay when the fatality occurred.
The scene was sealed off as gardaí conducted preliminary investigations to determine the cause of the incident.
Two inspectors sent by the authority arrived at the hotel to begin their investigations in the afternoon.
Authority spokesman Mark Ryan said the inspectors would begin interviewing witnesses today in an attempt to uncover the cause of the incident.
Equipment used by the workmen is likely to be tested as part of the authority’s investigation.
“We have been informed of a fatality on or near a septic tank on or near the Garryvoe Hotel. But we do not yet know the exact cause of the accident,” Mr Ryan said. “We have a team of inspectors on their way. The investigation itself will determine the cause,” he added.
Gardaí confirmed they were investigating the incident following the fatality.
Fumes generated by septic tanks can be fatal if inhaled, resulting in rapid poisoning or asphyxiation.