Court judgement highlights need for health and safety legislation to be strengthened for increased incidence of extreme weather events

Unite the union welcomed this afternoon’s sentencing hearing at Newry Crown Court of Health and safety failings admitted by Newry, Mourne and Down district Council and Lagan construction at the Gullion Forest site, where Matthew Campbell was killed in 2018 during Storm Ali.

Mr Campbell was a member of Unite and the union has been supporting his family to obtain answers and justice on his death.

The union has challenged the failure of the Health and Safety Executive NI to conduct an investigation into the incident.  

Unite regional secretary Susan Fitzgerald has remained in close contact with the family since the death of Mr Campbell, she said:

“Today’s sentence is the closest that the family of Matthew Campbell has been able to come to obtaining any accountability for the loss of their son. Matthew’s death is a horrific loss and could have been avoided, he should never have been sent out to work in a forest in the middle of an extreme weather event.

“Unite will be taking forward our campaign for new legislation to protect workers’ health and safety in extreme weather events. With climate change these are becoming increasingly common and we cannot continue to have institutional failure when it comes to the protection of workers.