Deaths in 2006

Click on the names below for further case Manufacture

Deaths in 2007

Click on the names below for further case details

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FURTHER DETAILS OF DEATHS

Peter Cook

Peter was a lorry driver who was killed while loading a heavy goods vehicle at the recycling company Nordic Recycling in Chatham Docks.

An inquest will be held at the Mid Kent and Medway Coroner's Court on a date yet to be set.

Following the incident, on 17 January 2006, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) urged all employers involved in the transport and handling of heavy goods to assess the associated risks.

HM Inspector of Health and Safety, Mike Walters, said there were a number of simple steps to help ensure safety during workplace transport activities. These included:

1. Ensuring that pedestrians are completely segregated from areas where loading and unloading of lorries is being undertaken.

2. Drivers of lorries being loaded should be kept away from loading operations to prevent them from being struck by vehicles such as forklift trucks.

3. Only trained and competent operators should be employed to load/unload
vehicles with forklift trucks or other similar lifting equipment.

4. Loads should be properly secured to forklift trucks or other similar lifting equipment before they are moved.

5. Any reversing of vehicles in a loading area should be kept to a minimum.

Mike Walters said, 'Nationally 70 people are killed in workplace transport related accidents each year, on top of this figure over 200 people suffer serious injuries. Simple and effective controls can be put in place to minimise the risks associated with transport in the workplace. It is essential that employers assess the risks properly and implement suitable control measures to reduce the number of fatal and serious accidents involving vehicles in the workplace.

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Balwinder Singh Aulk

Balwinder, a worker in a rice factory, died after getting his leg caught on a giant corkscrew in a huge silo. The incident happened at the Veetee Rice factory in Strood while Balwinder was in the bottom of the silo.

Paramedics amputated Balwinder's leg as they desperately tried to free him but he died from his injuries before reaching hospital.

An inquest will be held at the Mid Kent and Medway Coroner's Court on a date yet to be set.

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Nigel, a paint sprayer, was killed when a 975 kg metal plate fell onto him and he suffered crush injuries.

An inquest will be held at the Mid Kent and Medway Coroner's Court on a date yet to be set.

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Brian died when he was struck by the hydraulic arm of a tipper lorry delivering stone in Budds Lane, Wittersham, near Tenterden. He died of asphyxia, compression of the neck and crush injuries.

The inquest will be held at the Central and South East Kent Coroner's Court.

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Alan Dawson

Alan died of head injuries when he was struck by a side loader on a forklift truck at the Champion Timber yard in Edenbridge. Alan was taken to Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells but was dead on arrival.

An inquest was held at the North West Kent Coroner's Court sitting at Tunbridge Wells on 12 December 2008 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

Deputy assistant Coroner Christopher Sutton-Mattocks said Alan had been unloading the forklift truck driven by his colleague, Jason Clarke, with whom he had worked for nearly two decades. He said, 'They had unloaded between two and three thousand packs of timber during their time together.'

Speaking at the inquest, Mr Clarke said he reversed the vehicle into an alleyway, as he would have done many times before and he felt some resistance. 'Sometimes things catch and I assumed it was something like that,'he said. 'I pulled the pack of wood back in and realised it was Alan. I thought he was still where he was when I reversed down. He was in a position that he would not normally be in during unloading. I switched off the engine immediately,' he said. 'I put my arms around him to support him. I shouted for help and for an ambulance.'

The inquest heard that Alan died following head injuries.

Health and Safety Executive inspector Miles Francis added, 'People do things that are unexpected. After all, we are all human. Clearly the results of this accident are absolutely tragic. There is always something that can be done to prevent an accident happening. It's just getting the balance between the level of prevention and allowing that job to be done.'

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Damian Griffiths

Damian a refuse worker, was killed in a collision between a dustcart and a lorry on the A228 Boyle Way, East Peckham. Damian and his colleagues were carrying out a litter picking operation on the roadside verge.

The drivers of the refuse collection vehicle and the lorry both needed treatment for shock following the collision.

Damian's employers Veolia were subcontracted to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council.

An inquest will be held at the Mid Kent and Medway Coroner's Court on a date yet to be set.

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David Pope

David died when a tow rope snapped and hit him in the chest, while he was working on a tug boat towing a barge on the River Thames at Gravesend.

An inquest was held at the North West Kent Coroner's Court on 31 July 2007 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Ian Bristow

Ian was killed at the Eastern Docks ferry terminal in Dover while working as a crane operator for the contractor Ainscough Crane Hire Ltd. He was working on a fendering repair contract when the incident happened.

Ainscough Crane Hire Ltd were contracted by Dover Harbour Board to reconstruct a mooring point, a one day job.

The inquest was held at the Central and South East Kent Coroner's Court on 5 February 2008 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Gian Chand Bajar

Gian Chand, self-employed driver, died after being attacked and then run over with his own vehicle in Gravesend.

Gian Chand, who worked for Saturn Taxis in Gravesend, died in hospital after being found injured in St Benedicts Avenue. Police believe he had just picked up a fare in the Springhead Road area of the town. His taxi was later found abandoned and burnt out.

Taxi drivers met in Gravesend after the death to discuss possible strike action and their ongoing concerns. Representatives later decided to reform and revamp the United Taxi Group to work with police and council officers and a pledge was made to co-operate with Gravesham Borough Council and Kent Police over how to keep drivers and passengers safe.

Shane Waterman, spokesman for the United Taxi Group, said, 'It is desperately sad that it has taken the murder of a good, honest and hard-working family man to get us all to start what should have begun years ago. We extend an offer to all parties to work with us to achieve the objective we all desire - a friendly, prosperous and, above all, safe borough of Gravesham.'

In May 2008 at Maidstone Crown Court Luke Aujila was jailed for at least 20 years for Gian Chand's murder.

Judge Andrew Patience QC told Aujila he was 'cold, callous and cruel' in attacking Gian Chand during an argument over the cab fare.

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Alex Phythian

Alex Phythian, from Faversham in Kent, died while working for Colchester-based company JL Knight Roadworks. He was driving a nine-ton dumper truck when it overturned off the edge of a spoil heap at the Eurocentre site, trapping him under the rollover protection frame.

Alex died from multiple injuries after the incident at the Whitstable Road site.

The inquest was held at the Central and South East Kent Coroner's Court on 1 July 2008 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) showed the company had 'fully discharged its health and safety duties', a spokesman said.

Coroner Rachel Redman said that Alex was described by other employees of The Knight Group as a good worker. 'He was always rushing about and was a keen worker, a keen young employee wanting to get on with the job in hand,' she said.

John Wilks, who has 30 years' experience as a ground worker, told the inquest that he saw Alex driving his dumper truck up the spoil heap.

Mrs Redman said, 'He was the only witness who saw it tilt forward, back and go over the stock pile. He tried to stop him. He saw him stand up with his arm round the roll bar before it went over.'

HSE inspector Peter Collingwood told the hearing that the brake system on the dumper truck was in full working order but that the safety belt was fully retracted. He said that it would have been impossible for Alex to stand up while he had his seat belt on. Mr Collingwood said, 'The dumper was fitted with roll-over protection. It is a commonly held belief or misconception that it is safe to jump from the machine. It is a misconception. He was killed under the machine; you have to wear a seat belt.'

He said that an HSE prohibition notice had been served to stop wheeled vehicles driving on the stock pile. 'Clearly, people are instructed not to take wheeled vehicles up there,' he said.

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Mark Wilkin

Mark died in an incident at a quarry in Cliffe.

In March 2009 the Health and Safety Executive said that the inquiry into Mark's death was a police led investigation.

Any inquest will be held at the Mid Kent and Medway Coroner's Court

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