Agribusiness & Food, Equipment & Technology

Man killed in cheese pallet collapse: Reports

A 32-year-old Irishman was killed after roughly 40 tonnes of cheese pallets fell from shelves at a Finglas business park in 2013, a coronial inquest has reportedly heard.

According to multiple local sources, a recent inquest by Ireland’s Coroner focused on the death of Dublin man Robert Ceremuga, on November 28, 2013.

The Irish Times this month reported the inquest was told a forklift driver, with no formal forklift training, had managed to escape the cold store safely, but Ceremuga was not so lucky.

The inquest reportedly heard Ceremuga had come to ensure the driver had taken his break, when something caused 40 one-tonne pallets of cheese to fall from the upper shelves in the store room.

“The whole thing started to sway and the pallets started coming down,” health-and-safety inspector Frank Kerins was quoted as saying.

“It was all top-heavy, once it buckled, it was not able to take the weight.

“The whole room was a mangled mess of pallets.”

Each pallet contained cheese blocks weighing 25 kilograms apiece.

The cause of death was crush injuries to the head and chest, according to reports.

Ceremuga reportedly had a wife and four-month-old daughter at the time of his death.

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