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FURTHER DETAILS OF DEATHS

Peter Hay

Peter, a steeplejack from Midlothian, Scotland, died after falling from scaffolding that was around the chimney at Denton School, Denton Road, Newcastle.

The inquest was held at Newcastle Upon Tyne Coroner’s Court on 14 May 2002. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

In 2003 at Newcastle Crown Court , Northern Steeplejacks (Edinburgh) Ltd was fined £40,000 plus costs of £6,712 for a total of five breaches of health and safety legislation.

The court heard that Peter was working on a local primary school building that had cracks and loose masonry on the upper walls and roof.

Due to concerns over the schoolchildren’s safety, Northern Steeplejacks decided to bolt the scaffolding to the walls rather than assembling it from the ground. Whilst trying to lower
heavy stones, the scaffolding’s fixing brackets ripped free from the wall causing Hay to fall 10 metres to his death. A colleague managed to jump clear.

The Scottish firm was fined £30,000 on a charge under s2 (1) of HSWA 1974 of not ensuring the safety of its employees, plus £2,500 on each of
four additional charges: • Failure to prevent a fall from height (reg. 6 (1) of the Construction, (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations (CHSWR 1996) • Failure to take sufficient steps to prevent danger while a structure is being dismantled (reg. 10 (1) of CHSWR) • Failure to make a suitable risk assessment (reg. 3 (1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999) • Failure to ensure the safety of a structure (reg. 9 (2) of CHSWR).

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Steven Smart

Steven, a slaughterman, was killed when he was shot by a bolt gun which was used to cull foot and mouth affected animals. 37-year-old Keith Hubbard, one of Steven's colleagues, was remanded in custody charged with Steven's murder.

The inquest was to be held at Newcastle Upon Tyne Coroner’s Court.

Later the murder charge was reduced to one of manslaughter.

In March 2002 Mr Hubbard was cleared of Steven's manslaughter at Preston Crown Court.

Keith Hubbard was alleged to have shot Steven Smart in the head in the slaughter pen at Great Orton airfield, near Carlisle, while engaged in banter.

Mr Hubbard had denied the charge. He told the court the gun went off accidentally when he tripped over some carcasses.

The prosecution alleged that Mr Hubbard and Steven were involved in banter after the defendant had failed to kill a final sheep in the pen. The jury heard from two witnesses who said Mr Hubbard had put his arm around Steven and put the gun to the left-hand side of his head.

Mr Hubbard told the jury that he did not recall putting his arm around his colleague's shoulders or holding the bolt gun to Steven's head.

Steven's fiancée, Carina Weston wept after the verdict as she said, 'This is a massive shock. It's unbelievable.'

Detective Superintendent Jon Rush, who led the investigation, said outside court, 'All the evidence we gathered during the investigation was put to the court and the judge directed the jury accordingly, and they came back with a verdict of not guilty. The family are naturally very disappointed. They see it from the perspective of their son dying and they felt there was no other verdict than a guilty one.'

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John Pringle

John, was working on an engine at his business J Pringle Auto Salvage in Swalwell, Gateshead. The engine was held up by a fork lift truck which was found to be in poor mechanical condition. It is believed that the fork lift mast slipped and John was struck in the chest. He died from his injuries.

The inquest was held at Newcastle upon Tyne Coroner’s Court on 7 June 2002. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

The engine which crushed Mr Pringle had been hoisted up on a forklift truck which the inquest heard was over 25 years old.

There were no witnesses to the accident but DC Paul Harris from Whickham CID said police believed John had been standing beneath the lifted engine when the forklift mast slipped and he was struck in the chest.

Graham Norton from the Health and Safety Executive said investigations had shown the forklift was in poor condition and tests showed the extending mast sometimes became stuck and then released without warning.

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Thomas Matthew Hounslow

Thomas, a carpenter, was killed in a fall of 30 to 40 ft from a scaffold when a guard rail gave way on a construction site of the Metro Link.

The inquest was held at Sunderland Coroner’s Court on 4 October 2001. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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James Nesbitt

James, was killed while loading a box container onto a trailer chassis, when, in the course of a manoeuvre, the container fell from the chassis to the ground crushing him.

James suffered irreversible shock, a stove in chest and multiple injuries.

The inquest was held at Sunderland Coroner’s Court on 11 April 2002 and returned an 'Accidental Death' verdict.

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Leslie Ord

Leslie was killed on board a Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fleet ship the 'Sir Galahad' at Bergen, Norway, when he was hit by falling equipment.

The inquest was to be held at Gateshead and South Tyneside Coroner’s Court.

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Phillip Cox

Phillip, a boilermaker, died when he was crushed between a tractor and gritting machinery on the site of the Dunlop Tyre plant.

The inquest was held at Sunderland Coroner’s Court in June 2004 and returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'.

The inquest found that Phillip was crushed between a tractor and a gritter unit. A fitting device between the tractor and gritter was 'home-made'.

After the inquest Health and Safety Executive investigators considered whether to proceed with a prosecution.

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Michael Powers

Michael was offloading a 2.5 tonne Komatsu diesel counterbalance forklift truck from a low loader when it fell from a ramp and crushed him. He was delivering forklift trucks from the Sleeford branch to the Washington branch of his employers Winsor Engineering.

Michael was not secured in the truck by a lap restraint even though one was fitted. He jumped to the ground and the truck followed and fell on top of him causing fatal crush injuries to abdomen and lower body.

The inquest was held at the Gateshead and South Tyneside Coroner's Court on 5 October 2006 when the jury returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'.

On 1 June 2007 at Sunderland Magistrates Court, Windsor Engineering were fined £15,000 with £8,000 following Michael's death for a breach of Health and Safety At Work Act 1974, Section 2, Sub Section 1: It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.

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Alan McGlimpsy

Alan was loading cattle at a market in Carlisle when he was knocked over by an internal wagon gate causing him to hit his head on the floor. He died two days later in Newcastle Hospital.

The inquest was held at the Newcastle upon Tyne Coroner's Court and returned an 'Accidental Death' verdict.

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Stuart Mosley

Stuart was hit on the head by equipment at the Northern Hydraulic Cylinder Engineers factory in Washington. Start spent nine days in hospital in a coma before dying from severe brain damage.

The inquest was to be held at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Coroner's Court.

In July 2007 Northern Hydraulic Cylinder Engineers were fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £4,500 in costs at Houghton Magistrates' Court after being heavily criticised by HM Inspector of Health and Safety.

Stuart had been testing a cylinder from an oil rig and leant over the device to see if the analysis had been successful when a piece of machinery weighing about 2kg was catapulted into his face. After striking him on the head it travelled eight metres into the air and ricocheted off the building's steel roof leaving a dent.

Prosecuting, Dr David Shallow, HM Inspector of Health and Safety, told the court how he had grave concerns following his investigation into the accident.

He said, 'I would have expected some sort of barrier for people to stand behind in the factory. It's not acceptable for operators to stand next to the cylinders while they are being tested for failure. It's rare that they catapult but when they do they do with such force that they can be projected some distance. I would expect some sort of barrier control so there would have been a shield or some sort of screen to protect the operator.'

Outside the court, Dr Shallow said six people in the North East have died in similar ways in the last 12 years. 'There have been a number of fatalities caused by this sort of accident," he said. 'Every year or so we get pressure test failures exploding and have had more people seriously injured or who have had a seriously lucky escape. Any companies wanting advice can contact the Health and Safety Executive.'

Stuart's family did not want to comment after the hearing. The local newspaper reported a civil court case was pending.

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Michael Joyce

Michael was working alone in the Freudenberg Technical Products plant on the New York Industrial Estate. It is thought he died after climbing into a machine which put rubber coatings on steel rings. Michael may have become stuck as early as 5.30am on Saturday as he worked in a noisy and enclosed room. His body was found at 7.30am on Sunday by a shocked colleague.

The inquest was held at the North Tyneside Coroner's Court on 13 March 207 when the jury returned an narrative verdict.

Gerry Freedman, representing Mr Joyce's family, described the machine as remarkably similar to a washing machine. Special latches on the door should have made it impossible to enter the machine while the power was switched on, the inquest heard.

But Health and Safety reports showed latches on the eight-year-old machine were broken due to sticky residue and a missing part. New locks would have cost £30, the inquest was told. Reports also suggested faulty wiring to a control panel could have triggered the machine into action - while Michael was inside.

Dr David Shallow, a Health and Safety inspector, said, 'There are a series of sensors in the machine and the makers hadn't got the wiring correct. It could have started because of loose wires. It could have been triggered by someone walking past with a trolley of boxes. But no-one ever said they had knocked the panel.'

Pipes had to be cut away to remove Michael' body. A post mortem revealed he died from traumatic asphyxiation, suffocation due to being crushed by the internal workings of the machine.

Coroner, Eric Armstrong, said, 'The purpose of Mr Joyce's entering the machine is unknown. He had a task to do and if the machine didn't work he may have felt he would get in and try to sort it himself.'

The jury returned a narrative verdict. The foreman said, 'An access panel to the machine was not adequately locked through faults in the machinery. The machine was activated, causing Mr Joyce's death.'

Mr Armstrong told family members present, 'I'm sorry to say we haven't answered all your questions. We possible never will.'

Speaking after the inquest, Steven Dale, Michael's cousin, said, 'I would say it's a fair verdict. The jury discovered the machine obviously wasn't securely locked. It's just so tragic that something that cost £30 would have saved his life.'

It is possible civil proceedings could be brought against the company.

Dr Shallow said after the inquest, 'We are still waiting for a reply from the company.'

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Raymond was badly burnt after being engulfed in flames while working on the production line of car parts firm Hashimoto at Boldon Business Park. Firefighters gave Raymond first aid treatment until paramedics arrived and he was taken to hospital, where he died from his injuries three days later.

Hashimoto is a components supplier for the Sunderland based Nissan plant.

The inquest was held at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Coroner's Court in October 2006 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

The inquest heard that Raymond made rubber seals to waterproof car windows - a process involving a highly flammable chemical fed by tube from a tank. Although nobody witnessed the incident it is thought he had pulled at the tubing which caused the tank to fall, spilling the liquid on to a heat source, causing it to ignite.

Despite the verdict Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Martin Baillee said he would be referring his findings to a line manager to establish if any action would be taken against the company. Giving evidence, Mr Baillee was critical of the way in which the chemical Xylene was stored and at the inquest he described the tank containing the liquid to be 'precariously balanced' on a shelf.

In January 2007 South Shields Magistrates fined Hashimoto £15,000 and ordered it to pay £30,000 in costs to the HSE. Magistrates were told the firm, which employed 530 workers, did not have a health and safety policy, had ineffective management controls, and there had been 'a number of failings at different levels'.

Martin Baillie, prosecuting on behalf of the HSE, said Raymond was being shadowed by a trainee on the day of the accident. He said something 'caught the trainee's eye' and he saw flames on Raymond's clothes. As the fire engulfed him, he lay on the floor to try to extinguish the flames.

A colleague, Gary Shekel, showed 'great presence of mind' in picking up a fire extinguisher and dousing the flames. Mr Baillie said a storage tank containing the chemical had been 'negligently' left unsecured on a shelf. It tipped over, smashing a heat lamp which ignited the chemical. He said that, given the lax safety practices and lack of staff training, such a tragedy was 'inevitable'.

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David Pyle

David, a postal worker, died as he was returning to his vehicle on the footpath on the A690 Durham Road when a car mounted the footpath and collided with him and his vehicle.

A 17-year-old youth was arrested at the scene, interviewed and released on police bail. Police were also trying to trace the driver of a silver Range Rover which was two vehicles behind the vehicle which struck David.

The inquest was held at Sunderland Coroner's court on 13 October 2006 when a Narrative verdict was returned: David died 'as a result of being hit by a Ford Galaxy motor vehicle which left the road for reason/s unknown, excluding mechanical defect'.

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George, an asbestos stripper working on a flagship project to regenerate North Shields Fish Quay, fell to his death from a rooftop of a building which was being demolished. He worked for Thornton & Co contractors to North Tyneside Council.

The inquest was held at the North Tyneside Coroner's Court on 8 August 2006 when the jury returned an 'Accidental Death' verdict.

The jury heard that George was removing asbestos from the roof area with fellow worker Neil Armstrong. They had been unable to fit hand rails at the top of the tower because the timber framework of the roof was too close.

Mr Armstrong said, 'I climbed up the tower internally and Mr White climbed up on the outside. Then I heard him make an exclamation along the lines of `drat'. I saw that he was not on the top level where he was trying to get to. I looked around and he was not there. Then I ducked down below and saw him lying on the floor. He was very near the base of the platform. My instant reaction was that he was playing a joke. But then I saw blood.

'I got down and tried to speak to him. I grabbed hold of him and had my hand around the back of his neck. He was gasping. I was with him for a few seconds. Then I ran to the site office and asked them to call an ambulance.'

Paramedics arrived and George was taken to North Tyneside General Hospital where he died of serious head injuries.

Mr Armstrong told the jury a safety harness clipped on to the top of the tower was used for carrying out such work. But they had not been using safety harnesses.
He added, 'A decision was not made. It was not addressed. He would decide for himself whether to wear one.'

In June 2007 The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted R Thornton and Co Ltd for a failure to protect its workers from falling; namely the tower scaffold was being used without edge protection and fined it £8,500.

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Ashleigh had made a visit to the home of a a paranoid schizophrenic as part of her work for the charity Mental Health Matters. She was found at the house with multiple stab wounds.

34-year-old Ronald Dixon was charged with her death. Mr Dixon appeared before city magistrates on 22 May 2006. No plea was entered and he was remanded in custody to appear before a judge at Newcastle Crown Court on 30 May.

Det Supt Wade, who is heading the investigation into Ashleigh's death, said, 'Mental Health Matters has co-operated fully with the police investigation. But issues on the supervision of the patient, and the training and risk assessment involved with home visits, and a newly appointed support worker, will have to be considered by an independent inquiry.'

In October 2007 Dixon, who admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, was detained indefinitely.

Ashleigh's parents Jeff and Aileen Ewing said after the trial that they had yet to be given answers to questions over Dixon's treatment and assessment.

During the hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, it emerged that Dixon had been arrested in London for threatening to kill the Queen and had attacked his own parents with a hammer.

Dixon's defence lawyer claimed if 'responsible people had taken rational decisions at crucial times', Ashleigh would not have been put in a situation which threatened her safety.

The inquest will be held at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Coroner's court on a date yet to be set.

Mrs Ewing said, 'We've still not had the answers to all the questions we want answered about how Ashleigh was killed. We will go through the inquest to get justice and to make sure there are new procedures put in place in the hope this never happens again to anyone in this line of work.'

The parents say they want to know why the charity sent their daughter, who was inexperienced, to a man who was known to be violent.

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Graham was one of two workers badly burnt in a flash fire at an oil refinery. Graham, an electrical supervisor, received first degree burns in the fire at the ConocoPhillips terminal at Seal Sands, Teesside. He was admitted, to the intensive care unit at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary with burns to his head, neck and chest. He died there of his injuries.

The fire occurred in an electricity sub-station at the oil terminal. Four regular fire crews and two specialist appliances tackled the fire.

Graham had worked at the terminal for many years.

The inquest will be held held at Newcastle Coroner's Court on a date yet to be set.

In 2005 ConocoPhillips was fined a total of £895,000 and ordered to pay £218,854 costs following a Health and Safety Executive investigation into two incidents: a fire and explosion at the Humber refinery, on April 16, 2001, and a release of liquefied petroleum gas at the Immingham Pipeline Centre, Immingham Dock, on September 27, the same year.

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Jens, a German project engineer living in Northumberland, died after falling into machinery at work. Jens fractured his skull in the incident at Hydro Aluminium Extrusion, Gateshead.

The inquest was held at Gateshead and South Tyneside Coroner's Court on 1 May 2008 but Coroner Terrence Carney adjourned it when illness cut the jury to six, below the legal minimum.

Colleagues had described the moment he fell from a conveyor belt in the packing section of the Birtley plant and how some had climbed into the machinery to give first aid.

Lynne Nichols, who called an ambulance, said she had heard a bang, a shout for help and then screaming before seeing Jens trapped. Miss Nichols climbed into the machinery to try to give first aid with colleague Ken Lyall, who began clearing Jens’s airway of blood. She said, 'I couldn’t move him, I couldn’t get him from where he was.'

The jury heard that the machinery, which transferred aluminium products from a conveyor belt, had been installed two years earlier and staff had been trained in operating it. Process worker Mr Lyall said, 'I heard her screaming, turned around and I could see someone was trapped where the shuttle was. I jumped straight into the machinery. When I got there I could tell he was badly injured by that stage.'

Elaine Skelton told the packed inquest – which included Jen’s parents and brother who had travelled from Oldenburg, Germany – that he had tried to steady himself with arms outstretched on the frame of a conveyor belt before falling.

She said, 'I heard the rumble, saw the movement and Jens looked at me and shouted ‘whoa’ and I instantly knew something was wrong. I ran to the emergency stop button.
'All emergency stop buttons I have ever pressed have twisted but this one – it didn’t feel like it worked. I had to keep my hand on the button because I could still hear the shuttle moving and I was screaming for help.'

Consultant pathologist Dr Anita Nayar said Jens had suffered multiple injuries to his chest, abdomen, right arm and leg and a fractured pelvis, but had died from a fracture to the base of the skull. He had an enlarged heart and furring of coronary arteries and might have suffered a heart attack which led to his fall.

The inquest was reconvened in October 2008 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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David died at at Alex Smiles Ltd recycling plant, in Deptford, Sunderland.

The inquest is to be held at Sunderland Coroner's Court on a date yet to be set.

The circumstances of David's death and employment form part of the police and Health and Safety Executive's joint investigation.

Alex Smiles Ltd sorts domestic rubbish into metal, wood, paper, builders' rubble and organic waste at its transfer station in Deptford. The company was created in 1973 and since then it has grown to employ more than 70 people, operating from the nine acre Deptford site. It has a fleet of 40 trucks, including skip wagons, wheeled tippers and artic units.

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