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Deaths in 2002 Click on the names below for further case details
FURTHER DETAILS OF DEATHS
Debra Marie Exton
Debra, a mother of three on a short holiday to York, was walking past All Saints Church when a pinnacle fell and struck her head, killing her. The inquest was held at York Coroner’s Court in October 2004 and returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'. Speaking after the verdict Debra's son, Mark Shortland, said, 'We understand that those involved in the maintenance of this church have learned from this tragic accident. What we now hope is that measures are taken, across the country, to ensure that something as terrible as this never occurs again. In our opinion, churches should be inspected far more often and the process should be much more thorough." The family's solicitor, Ian Cranefield, added that he would seek to publicise the dangers in trade magazines and newspapers. The inquest heard that the same pinnacle fell from the 14th century church a decade earlier in stormy weather and was professionally repaired in 1993 using a long metal dowel to secure the top sections of stone. The pinnacle was found to be in 'exemplary condition' during an inspection in 1998. Following Debra's death all pinnacles were permanently removed from the church. It was then discovered that the base sections of the fallen pinnacle and a twin pinnacle had short 50mm dowels, common practice when they were replaced in the 1950s. Two professional stone masons told the court that the dowels used were too short. York Coroner Donald Coverdale directed the jury that Debra's death was 'an accident in the ordinary sense of the word - a completely unexpected event' and said adequate measures were already in place to inspect churches. He said, 'I'm hopeful that church architects, stone masons and all those involved in the care of the fabric of churches throughout the country will have taken careful note of this incident and will keep a weather eye open for any potential danger from ancient buildings.'
Charles Waring
Charles, a bricklayer, died from head and shoulder injuries a day after falling from a small stepladder at a building site on Grange Farm, Wetherby. The inquest was held at West Yorkshire Coroner’s Court on 14 February 2003. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.
David Paterson
David, a self-employed roofer, died 11 days after falling off a roof on 24 January at Ossett. The inquest was held at West Yorkshire Eastern District Coroner’s Court on 10 February 2003. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.
Michael Christopher Ackroyd
Michael, a maintenance worker, died in hospital from head injuries sustained over a month before after falling from a ladder while changing a bulb. The
inquest was held at South Yorkshire West Coroner’s Court on 20 May
2002. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. Robert Cass
Robert, a farmer, died after being struck by a solid metal gate during heavy winds caused by a freak storm. Friends found Robert lying underneath the gate which had come loose from its post. He had suffered severe head injuries and a fractured skull. The inquest was held at North Yorkshire Eastern District Coroner’s Court on 9 September
2002. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.
Nigel Lazenby
Nigel, a farmworker who enjoyed working on cars, was crushed to death while working underneath one after he failed to ensure it was properly supported. He intended to remove the car's gearbox for use in a similar vehicle owned by his employer, John Pinkney, and had taken a manual with him which illustrated the correct procedures. A police reconstruction verified by the dealer showed that he had chosen the wrong jacking points The full inquest was held at North Yorkshire Western District Coroner’s Court on 19 March 2003. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.
Peter William George
Peter, an ad-hoc employee at his brother-in-law's small wrought iron works, haemorrhaged to death when his left arm was partially ripped off while using a metal cutting machine with a circular saw blade. The inquest was held at West Yorkshire Eastern District Coroner’s Court on 7 October 2003. A verdict of 'Death by Misadventure' was returned. The jury was told how Peter also suffered injuries to his front and left shoulder. Peter, who worked at the steel fabricating workshop on a casual basis, had been working alone after Mark Emery, his brother-in-law, left about 12.30pm. Mr Emery said he had asked Peter to paint some flower pots outside the workshop while he was out and added, 'He was not allowed to use the machine when I was not there. It was a safety issue.' Peter's body was discovered about half an hour later by plumber Matthew Sedgwick, who had dropped into the workshop to ask about some work. Mr Sedgwick alerted emergency services and a neighbour, who was a trained first aider, but paramedics declared Peter dead at the scene. Evidence suggested Peter had been using the saw at the time of his death to cut bars. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) probe revealed an essential safety feature, the linkage, which operates a safety guard, was not fitted to the machine. HSE inspector Rom Naplocha said, 'If that is not in place, it tends to expose a very large part of the blade and such exposure can then lead to a person's clothing being entangled.' Speaking after the inquest, a HSE spokesman said, 'The HSE has already conducted a thorough investigation. It will now take account of the Coroner's verdict before bringing this to a conclusion.'
Bashir Uddin
Bashir was found collapsed beside a generator he was testing at his place of work. He was trying to alter the generator from 110volts to 240 volts to power TV sets at car boot sales and was electrocuted. The full inquest was held at West Yorkshire Western District Coroner’s Court on 2 October 2002. The principal electrical inspector at Health and Safety Executive, Michael Stevenson, who investigated the incident said, 'A fraction of an amp is all that is needed to electrocute you.' A verdict of 'Misadventure' was returned.
Nigel Etchells
Nigel, a labourer, died after a fall from height. The inquest was held at West Yorkshire Western District Coroner’s Court on 3 October 2002. A verdict of Death by Misadventure was returned.
Nigel Hutchinson
Nigel, the driver of a skip wagon, was crushed to death against a house wall when his vehicle tilted as he carried out a manoeuvre in a constricted space. The full inquest was held at West Yorkshire Western District Coroner’s Court on 1 October 2002. A verdict of ' Misadventure' was returned. In May 2003 Envirowaste Services Ltd was fined £6,000 after pleading guilty to two breaches of health and safety regulations, and ordered to pay costs of £1,360 at Halifax Magistrates Court. Chris Smith, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, said the lorry's push-to-operate button had been overridden and the control levers were not labelled. 'But these details did not lead to the fatality,' he said. When the site manager tried to free Nigel he did not know which lever to pull. He only succeeded at the third attempt. The company said it had since improved its safety practices. Leslie Young
Leslie died of injuries just over seven weeks after a fall from a lorry
at a timber merchants where he worked in the Howdendyke area.
David Mytum
David, a self-employed livestock farmer, was gored to death by a two-year old shorthorn bull while trying to move it from a field. This had been the second time he had been attacked by the same bull. The full inquest was held at West Yorkshire Western District Coroner’s Court on 16 July 2002. Coroner Roger Whittaker said the tragedy was a warning to all farmers that however docile bulls may be accidents can and do happen. He said that Mr Mytum had ignored 'cautionary measures' which he had earlier discussed with his wife and sister after the earlier incident. He had said he would always carry a stick with him in future when he dealt with the bull. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.
Kevin Illingworth
Kevin, a self-employed roofer, plunged to his death while working on a roof at Newlands School, Sowerby. The inquest was held at West Yorkshire Western District Coroner’s Court on 1 October 2002. The jury heard that Kevin was not wearing a safety harness because he found it impracticable and inconvenient. A verdict of 'Misadventure' was returned.
David Jamieson
David, a steeplejack, was working on the main chimney of the Eggborough Power Station as part of a project to line the flue in order to cut sulphur dioxide emissions. He died of a broken neck and chest injuries when he fell from level 15 to level 13 of the 20 level, 650 ft chimney. The inquest was held at North Yorkshire West Coroner’s Court on 1 October 2003. The hearing was told that David suffered a broken neck and chest injuries and would have died instantly. He was helping to install anti-acid rain equipment in the chimney. The work was part of a £50m scheme to cut sulphur dioxide emissions from the coal-powered plant to comply with national air quality standards targets. The inquest, sitting at Harrogate Magistrates' Court, was told there were problems fitting the plastic lining in the chimney and David was one of several steeplejacks working on the job. As the plastic lining was shunted up the chimney it kept getting stuck. The inquest heard Mr Jamieson may have heard project manager Colin Nodder make a comment on the problem and possible solutions, one of which was to lever the plastic lining into place from level 15 of the chimney. The inquest was told that David was never given any instructions to go to level 15 and any attempt to move the plastic lining on his own would have been futile. Coroner Geoff Fell said although David was very experienced and safety conscious 'it appears on this occasion he went to level 15 and beyond the safety barriers and without a safety harness'. The jury returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'. In August 2004 the Health and Safety Executive decided not to prosecute either Pendrich or its parent company Bierrum and Partners after both firms were bought by new owners. David's widow Carol said, 'I was told they can't do anything because they don't exist anymore. It is so frustrating. David loved his job - he would have done it for nothing and he was very safety conscious. I believe that somebody knows what happened but there is nothing I can do about it because there were no witnesses.'
Malcolm Parkin
Malcolm, a self-employed builder, died after falling through a fragile asbestos roof at Hemmings on Grange Lane in Sheffield. The
inquest was held at South Yorkshire West Coroner’s Court on 10 March
2003. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. Martin Baker
Martin, an agency employee at a waste disposal centre, was killed after falling off a conveyor belt and into a chute feeding the paper-baling machine at the Bradford Council-run waste recycling plant. Martin had clambered up on to the belt 30 ft up to clear a blockage. Fire crews and a rescue unit battled in vain to rescue him. they used hydraulic gear to prise open a gap in the compressor large to drag him out. The inquest was held at West Yorkshire Western District Coroner’s Court on 15 December 2003 when a verdict of Misadventure was returned. During the three-day inquest, it was revealed that the conveyor belt was switched off, but the compactor part of the machine below was not. When Martin lost his footing and fell, it started running for a few seconds until a workmate pressed an emergency stop button. Coroner Roger Whittaker said if some form of switching could be provided that ensured that when the conveyor was stopped the rest of the machine also stopped then that might avert a similar tragedy. He urged that it should not be used again or sold on without that modification. The inquest was told that Martin, a 'picker' who sorted out material prior to it being put in the baler, had been using a 5ft wooden pole as he tried to clear cardboard blocking the machinery. "Mr Baker... climbed over the blinkers [metal guards] and on to the conveyor at the top end and was seen jumping up and down," said Mr Whittaker. Fellow worker Andrew Crewdson heard a scream and saw Martin disappear down the chute. In August 2003 the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to press criminal charges over Martin's death. After the inquest verdict was known the Health and Safety Executive brought charges against Bradford City Council for their failure to establish a safe system of work and a failure to train the supervisor and other operatives, including Martin. This resulted in a conviction at Leeds Crown Court in February 2005 when the council was fined and ordered to pay costs totalling more than £83,000 The judge at Leeds Crown Court, Mr Justice Hoffman, said Martin's death was 'an accident waiting to happen'. He said there had been a 'serious failure to address and safeguard the safety of the deceased and his fellow employees' by Bradford Council. Bradford Council pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety Act. Fining the council £60,000 and ordering them to pay costs of £23,691 Judge Hoffman said, 'The degree of failing and culpability was significant.' It was not enough for an employer to say 'don't do it'. He said, 'It is incumbent on them to say how they should do it." He also said management approach to the safe operation of machinery was inadequate and that workers learned from a hand- me-down approach through word of mouth. 'Nothing was done to educate any of the operations in clearing a blockage. Too much was left to the discretion of the untrained operatives. Little had been done to set up a safe operating system,' he said. Barrister Bryan Cox, for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said Martin had been trying to clear a blockage by prodding a piece of wood through the inspection hatch. When that didn't work, he was joined on the gantry by another worker who tried to help. Martin then got on to the conveyor belt and started pulling pieces of cardboard away from the top of the chute. Mr Cox said his colleagues suddenly heard a scream. He added, 'Mr Baker could not be seen. He had clearly fallen into the hopper. The bailer was heard to start up. The sensors had been activated by Mr Baker who received fatal injuries from the compactors.' He said the HSE investigation centred on the failure to establish a safe system of work and a failure to train the supervisor and other operatives, including the deceased. The court heard that, two months before the tragedy, the system changed where a machine put the cardboard on to the conveyor belt rather than it being done by hand. Mr Cox said since then workers had said the machine had started to block more often and he read out statements from other workers who talked about climbing on to the conveyor belt to unblock it. He said, 'There was a practice of going on to the conveyor belt to clear blockages. The picture which emerges is that there was no formal procedure for dealing with blockages, practices varied. Some men appreciated they should not have gone on to the conveyor belt but too little was done to impose and enforce a formal method to clear blockages.' David Craxton, principal inspector from the HSE, said, 'If risk assessments are comprehensive, if safe ways of working are in place and if all people doing the work, including agency workers, are properly trained, we can prevent other families losing a loved one in such tragic circumstances. I hope that today's case sends a very clear message to companies working in the waste management industry.' After the case Martin's partner, Louise Munday, said, 'I suppose it means it will not happen to anyone else and that is a good thing but it is still very painful for us even after all this time. His workmates have been brilliant since, but all we have had from the Council is one letter from the Council leader, Margaret Eaton.' Louise said that if it had been a private company the fine would have hurt them harder in the pocket but at least the machine was now out of action.
Jeffrey Phillips
Jeffrey, a self employed roofer, died after falling off a roof at Tumbling Hill, Pontefract. The inquest was held at West Yorkshire Eastern District Coroner’s Court on 9 June 2003. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.
Malcolm Hawley
Malcolm, a refuse collection HGV driver, was killed when the lorry he had been driving started to roll downhill after he had just loaded the skip. Malcolm being outside at the time tried to jump into the cab and stop it but was trapped and crushed between cab and wall. The
inquest was to be held at South Yorkshire East Coroner’s Court. David Hall
David, a worker in waste disposal and refuse collection, died after suffering multiple injuries when he was run over by a dust cart. The inquest was held at West Yorkshire Western District Coroner’s Court sitting at the City court in Bradford on 23 February 2004, when a verdict of Misadventure was returned. The inquest heard how David and colleague Paul McNamara were helping driver Mark Hunt as he reversed. Mr McNamara, who was at the front of the wagon, said he saw David, who had been a binman for 20 years, walk across the back of it shortly before his death. 'There was no chance to warn him - he came out between the front wheels,' he said. PC Steven Mullaney said the vehicle was fitted with a CCTV camera, but its purpose was to show the mechanism at the back while bins were being loaded, not as a reversing aid. After the inquest Terry Patten, chairman of the Bradford branch of the GMB union which includes refuse workers, said the wagon and the working practices were always reviewed and investigated after an accident of any kind. 'Bradford Council has internally looked at every aspect of the issue and we have no concerns about this area,' he said. 'It was a very unfortunate and tragic accident.'
Phillip Greally
Phillip, a trainee jockey, part-time stablehand and student at the Northern Racing College at Doncaster, died after being kicked in the head by a normally passive retired race horse while helping a female colleague with another horse. Phillip worked at the stables of the Easterby family in Sheriff Hutton, North Yorkshire. He died from his injuries six days after the incident. 'He spotted that a strap had come adrift from a New Zealand rug on one of the horses that I have turned out in a paddock near the yard,' the trainer Mick Easterby recounted, talking to the Racing Post. 'He and a girl went to put it right. The girl tried to catch the horse, but it walked off. Phil followed it as it walked away from him. That horse didn't kick him, but I think he must have stumbled, and then another horse cantered past and lashed out with its hind legs and struck him on the top of the head,' Easterby said. 'It just doesn't seem possible.' The full inquest was held at North Yorkshire East Coroner’s Court on 30 April 2003. The inquest heard that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had consulted widely within the industry whether guidelines on wearing protective head gear should be revised. At present riding hats are only worn when on the back of a horse. The HSE had re-examined 665 horse-related incidents dating back to 2001 to see if there was a case for tighter regulations on wearing head gear. But less than one per cent of incidents involved horses in fields and there was not a single one where someone tending a horse had been attacked by another said HSE inspector Rob Hirst. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.
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