text: Mark McCarroll, a father-of-one, was working as a fork lift driver at Hayes Fuels depot in Belfast's Harbour estate when the accident happened.
  Hayes Fuels director Allister Hayes and risk manager Stanley Gibson both pleaded guilty at Belfast Crown Court
  Mr Gibson pleaded guilty to two charges, while Mr Hayes, on behalf of his company, pleaded guilty to charges of failing to ensure the safety of its employees and failing to ensure the safe storage of materials and objects.
  The family of Mr McCarroll, a 49-year-old grand-father, was present in court when details of the events surrounding his death were outlined to the court.
  A prosecution lawyer told the judge that on the day of the accident on 27 March 2013, heavy goods vehicle driver Brian Wilshaw was at the yard where his lorry was being loaded with mixed coals and briquettes.
  "Mr Wilshaw flagged down Mr McCarroll in his forklift truck and he put two of three full pallets of coal on the lorry,'' the prosecution lawyer said.
  "Mr McCarroll and Mr Wilshaw were in shed two on the premises calculating the number of briquettes on a slack pallet which had been already been picked up from the ground.
  "The full pallets needed by Mr Wilshaw were still in the shed and while he was engaged in gathering loose briquettes from this area, Mr McCarroll was standing on the slack pallet counting the bales.
  "Mr McCarroll pulled a bale out and had time to set this on the ground, at which stage, two pallet stacks fell on top of him.
  "Mr Wilshaw shouted a warning but Mr McCarroll was unable to avoid being hit.''
  The court heard that medical assistance was called to the yard but Mr McCarroll died two days later on 29 March from chest and pelvic injuries.
  The judge was told that the Health and Safety Executive of Northern Ireland (HSENI) found a number of breaches by Hayes Fuels, including:
  HSENI said that Hayes Fuels should have used an overlapping or 'staircase' system to store pallets.
  The court was told that in September 2012, Hayes Fuels hired Stanley Gibson Partnership to advise them on health and safety issues and his company subsequently carried out an audit of the premises.
  The Stanley Gibson Partnership provided "numerous risk assessments'' to Hayes Fuels and lignite materials (briquettes) was intended to be included in the risk for solid fuels.
  "However, there is no account mentioned to matters such as the size of pallets how the pallet and load base varied or how the lignite pallets are to be stacked," the prosecution lawyer said.
  "It considered that the risk assessments and safety audit completed by Stanley Gibson Partnership were neither adequate nor sufficient.''
  The court heard that Mr McCarroll's partner, Barbara Thompson, had "suffered both emotionally and financially from the loss of her long-term partner''.
  The prosecution lawyer added that his only son Christopher had suffered "disruption to his employment and sleep patterns in the wake of his father's untimely death''.
  The court heard the maximum penalty that could be imposed was an unlimited fine and/or two years in prison.
  However, the judge heard that fines in previous similar cases of a death of an employee at a workplace has ranged from £20,000 to £60,000.
  A lawyer for Mr Gibson told the judge: "I have read the victim impact statement and I want to publicly state just how devastated my client is that he has been in any way associated with or responsible for the tragic accident.
  "You cannot read those statements without recognising the impact this has had on his family.
  "He identified the problem on the premises but accepts he did not take the next step and complete his audit.''
  A lawyer for Hayes Fuels said that on behalf of the company and Allister Hayes he wanted to "express their sincere apologies to the McCarroll family''.
  The judge adjourned sentencing for a month, and told the court: "This is a very tragic case and there is a great deal for me consider.''
target: One of Northern Ireland's fuel distributors has admitted breaching health and safety legislation in connection with the death of one of its employees.