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Deaths in 2001
Deaths in 2001
Back to Top Deaths in 2002
FURTHER DETAILS OF DEATHS Gerald Heath
Gerald, a mechanic, died after being crushed under a lorry at his place of work. The
inquest was held at Plymouth and South West Devon Coroner’s Court on
22 August 2001. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. Marvin James Lethbridge
Marvin, a farmer, was killed when his tractor toppled over and he fell 200ft down a cliff while clearing ground on a steep embankment. The inquest was held at Torbay and South Devon Coroner’s Court on 26 February 2001 and returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'. Mark John Alger
Mark, a contract farm worker, was killed when he got under a jammed bailer to unblock it using his legs. The inquest was held at Torbay and South Devon Coroner’s Court on 4 February 2002. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. The hearing was told Mark had left the bailer running while he tried to unblock it. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Mark Bake said there were notices on the bailer warning operators not to do what Mark had done. 'The bottom line,' he added, 'is to follow the safe stop procedure and always switch off the engine. Accidents such as this are a salutary reminder of just how dangerous the farming industry can be if appropriate health and safety measures aren't taken. This is the fourth case in Devon since April.' 'The dangers of working with agricultural machinery are well known and the failure of operators to follow a safe-stop routine when dealing with problems is a common cause of accidents.' Jon Voaden
Jon, a digger driver, was killed when the arm of a digger he was driving swung around and crushed him. The inquest was held at Torbay and South Devon Coroner’s Court on 18 November 2002. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. In his statement to the court Roger Jones, a mechanic engineer who inspected the vehicle two days after the incident, said the second-hand Caterpillar bought by subcontractors Sovereign Siteworks did not have an operations manual on board. He added that the Japanese-made machine gave insufficient warning about the ways the vehicle was supposed to operate. He said, 'Some Caterpillars have a special system which does not allow the operator to alight before switching the controls. All controls should be marked on the functions, giving sufficient warnings.' Sgt Ian Curson of Devon and Cornwall Police told the inquest that Jon died after his fluorescent jacket caught the lever operating the digger's arm while he tried to jump off from the cab. But solicitor Chris Jolly speaking for the family argued it was impossible for the victim to have caught his coat on the lever and later end up in front of the cab. After the verdict Coroner Hamish Turner said, 'There should have been a manual in the cab and better signing of the operations by the lever should have been available.' Craig Potter
Craig, a mechanic, was adjusting the brakes of a coach when it collapsed on him crushing his head. Craig, who had started at Duchy Travels Ltd 11 days before the incident, was examining the underneath of a single decker coach which had been raised on a hoist. The 6.4-tonne coach rolled backwards on a ramp while Craig was working underneath. Another employee later discovered him trapped in a standing position under the coach. The
inquest was held at Torbay and South Devon Coroner’s Court
on 26 March 2003. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. The prosecutor said Mr Potter was a driver who was an unqualified mechanic, and who had been allowed to work underneath the coach without supervision, or checks to see whether he had the competence to carry out the task. David Evans, defending, said the firm failed to properly instruct or supervise Craig, who 'should not have been left to do this on his own'. He said, 'This was a terrible tragedy which might have been avoided without this breach of regulations.' Judge Jeremy Griggs said the precise circumstances of the accident were unclear. But 'in one way or another' the coach on which he was working had its rear offside wheel supported by a jack, which did not bear the weight of the vehicle. 'It may well be he realised something had gone wrong, and attempted to deal with the situation, resulting in his head being crushed,' said the judge. Outside court, HSE Inspector Tim Wake said what had happened was a 'tragic case'. He said it illustrated the importance of the instruction and supervision of employees.
Peter Cole
Peter, a fisherman, died after slipping and falling 20 feet head first on to the deck of a fishing vessel moored in the trawler basin below. Peter fractured his skull in two places and died eight days later in a Plymouth intensive care unit. The inquest was held at Plymouth and South West Devon Coroner’s Court on 17 March 2003. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. Peter's death was referred to by a cross-party Parliamentary committee demanding tough new safety targets on docksides and a big increase in inspectors and compulsory staff training to cut the death and injury toll. For every 100,000 workers there were 3,000 accidents each year, the committee was told, making the docks Britain's most dangerous workplace. Benjamin Pinkham
Ben, an employee with a heating services firm, died as a result of 90 per cent burns suffered when cleaning the interior of a tank previously used for storing sealing varnish six days previously. Ben was taken to Plymouth's Derriford Hospital before being transferred to the specialist burns unit at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. His condition deteriorated and he died on the morning of February 8 from septic shock. Benjamin was using a highly flammable solvent to clean the resin storage tank at the Princess Yachts International yard when the explosion occurred. The
inquest was to be held at Plymouth and South West Devon Coroner’s Court but a manslaughter prosecution took precedence. The court had heard earlier how Ben had not been warned about the dangers of using acetone in a confined space. It also heard how on the day of the incident he was suspended from a harness inside the tank and had knocked over a halogen light he was using. There was an explosion and smoke and flames came from the tank. Nationwide Heating Systems Ltd was also found guilty of manslaughter. Both Mark and his company had pleaded guilty to three Health and Safety offences. The firm and the managing director also admitted failing to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to the health and safety of employees. Princess Yachts pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two health and safety offences and was fined £90,000 with £10,000 prosecution costs. The judge Mr Justice Steel said, 'The life of a young man has been needlessly lost in a terrible way.' He said the 'shadow of anguish and despair' would be over Ben's family forever. Mr Justice Steel told Mark that the picture of 'heedless risk' included persuading Princess Yachts that he was a suitable contractor to do the job, despite limited experience. His risk assessment did not mention acetone would be used to clean the tank, he added, and he had sent in two 21-year-old apprentices - Ben and Jonathan Jarvis - to carry out the job. Mark did not provide them with a copy of the risk assessment, and they were left to 'cobble' the necessary equipment together, said the judge. Mr Justice Steel added, 'This case must be viewed as a warning to all employers to pay rigorous and robust attention to matters of safety.' Following sentencing Ben's father Brian said, 'We will grieve for Ben for all of our lifetime, and others who have lost their loved ones will know the devastation this causes. Justice was done here in this case, and we hope its impact will lead to saving other lives.'
Rodney Archer
Rodney, an employee in a quarrying equipment firm, was killed when he was struck by a four by two metres sheet of metal which fell from a crane. The inquest was held at Exeter and Greater Devon Coroner’s Court on 27 July 2004 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. Marcus Seward
Marcus, a contract farm worker, was crushed to death when the tractor he was driving slipped and rolled on top of him, as he tried to drive up a steep slope made slippery by heavy rain. The inquest was held at Exeter and Greater Devon Coroner’s Court on 21 December 2003 when the jury unanimously returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'. Health and Safety inspector Mark Baker told the inquest that Marcus would not have fallen out of the cab and been crushed if he had been wearing a seat restraint and that the field where the incident happened was certainly steep enough to merit using a a seatbelt. The inquest heard that the tractor, owned by Lionel Johnson, the partner of farm owner Geraldine Young, was in good working order, although it had a door missing on the driver's side and no seatbelt. But even if the door had been in place, said Mr Baker, Marcus could have been thrown out of the vehicle through the windscreen or the side door when the glass was thrown out in the impact of the crash. Mr Baker added that the manoeuvre Marcus was trying to complete, driving diagonally across the field, was not recommended by the tractor's manufacturers. Peter Snell, a 16-year-old agriculture student and the only witness to the incident, said in a statement that he watched in horror as the tractor rolled on top of Marcus before 'somersaulting' down the steep pasture to land upright in a stream. David Hayes
David, was a passenger in a tractor in a field on Homelea Farm, near Taunton, helping his friend Chris Briggs to transport hay bales. Chris lost control of the tractor and its trailer and they both overturned and rolled down a slope. David and Chris were airlifted to hospital where David died from severe brain injury. The inquest was held at Plymouth and South West Devon Coroner’s Court on 13 February 2004. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. Bob Standing from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the hard dry ground and the slippy conditions of the recently cut field were contributing factors to the incident. Coroner Nigel Meadows warned the farming community of the dangers when operating agricultural machinery. Alan Sewell
Alan, a safe installation engineer of 28-years experience, was working at the Plymouth branch of Lloyds TSB Bank when a five tonne safe fell down the stairs and trapped him against the wall. Alan was pronounced dead at the scene. The inquest was held at Plymouth and South West Devon Coroner’s Court on 15 June 2004 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. Alan's firm, T O'Connor Security Limited, based in West Thurrock, Essex, was contracted to remove the safe. It was being moved up a flight of stairs when the wooden platform supporting it gave way. The original plan had been to make a hole in the bank's floor and winch it out. Giving evidence at the inquest, Alan's co-worker Peter Cox said the carpenters contracted to create the hole were 'not happy to carry out the work' because of electric cables which were in the way. Mr Cox said he and Alan then made the decision to move the safe from the strong room basement at Lloyds up a flight of stairs. Carpenter Wayne Murphy who was employed by Islwyn Pugh Ltd of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, denied that he had refused to make the hole in the ceiling for the safe. They were nearly at the top when the wooden platform gave way and Alan was pinned under the safe. Mr Cox told the inquest Alan had about 28 years experience as a safe installation engineer, adding that he was 'a competent worker who did not take any short cuts'. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector David Arnsby told the inquest that the system used to haul the 5ft high safe up back stairs to a rear entrance using pulleys, levers and rollers was inappropriate. The safe was moved almost to the top of the stairs on wooden planks. But a wooden box called, 'staging' was needed to support the end of the planks on the stairs to keep the safe level. The inquest heard that the plywood box shattered, the pulley system collapsed and the safe fell down the stairs trapping Alan. Mr Arnsby said, 'I wouldn't have expected them to go up the stairs when there was a ready alternative to go through the ceiling which I would have considered far safer. The cause of the accident was a poor system of work and unsuitable equipment.' Speaking after the hearing, Andrew Thompson, another HSE inspector, said, 'We are now reviewing the findings of our own investigation and the findings of the coroner's court with a view to to taking further enforcement action.' he added that the investigation had showed a lack of appropriate training for the staff lifting the safe. In February 2007 Terry O'Connor Security Services was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs totalling £30,000 at Plymouth Crown Court. After a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspectorate investigation, the company admitted it had failed to ensure the safety of its employees. Inspector Andrew Thompson, of
Lewis Edwards
Lewis was found crushed under his overturned tractor in a field that he owned by the Teign Valley Road at Christow. The inquest was held at Exeter and Greater Devon Coroner’s Court on 9 January 2004 when a verdict of death by Natural Causes was returned. Elizabeth Brooks
Elizabeth a farmer, was trapped by four bales of hay, each weighing 1,100lb (500 kilogrammes), in a barn at her farm in the Monkleigh area of north Devon. Elizabeth was pinned under the bales for about five hours before her shouts were heard by neighbours. The emergency services were called and she was released but died the next day from her injuries. The
inquest was held at Exeter and Greater Devon Coroner’s
Court on 25 March 2004 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.
Shaun Rowe
Shaun, was operating a mechanical arm to lift telegraph poles, one of which touched a high-voltage overhead cable. He died after receiving a powerful electric shock from the 33,000 volt power line. Shaun and his colleague 18-year-old trainee Alan Daykin were back to the farm to return two unneeded 10m telegraph poles. they parked their truck on the access road underneath the power line, and removed the first pole without any problems. Alan who was standing about 6ft from the lorry, described suddenly seeing a bright light coming from the vehicle's rear wheels and sparks at the crane controls where Shaun was standing. He saw Shaun stagger back and then fall forwards. alan moved the crane away from the power lines, unaware that the electricity had switched back on ten seconds after being automatically shut off, and that he could have been electrocuted too. The inquest was held at Plymouth and South West Devon Coroner’s Court on 10 December 2004 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. On 28 October 2005 at Truro Crown Court, Fujitsu was fined £30,000 with £7,000 for failing to 'assess or acknowledge the risk' posed by the cable. Shaun's employer, Peninsula Poling and Communications Ltd, a sub-contractor for Fujitsu, was fined £6,000 with £2,000 costs and landowner Richard John Hall, who leased part of his farm to Fujitsu, was ordered to pay £2,000 with £1,000 cost. Ian Dixey, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive said. 'If there had been the most basic risk assessment carried out, it would have highlighted the risk of storing equipment and handling telegraph poles under or near overhead lines.' Mr Dixey said that 20 fatal accidents involving contact with overhead power lines were reported to the HSE between 1996 and 2001. He added, 'It is the most common cause of death involving electricity at work.'
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