The death of a Cawleys’ driver in 2014 after he became trapped under a waste collection vehicle he was operating, was recorded under a narrative verdict at an inquest which concluded today (5 October).
The jury found that the death of the driver, Peter Coleman, 54, who was working alone, was caused by an accident in the course of his work which had been “contributed to by the faults in his vehicle”.
And, following the inquest, Mr Coleman’s widow has called for F&R Cawley to make safety improvements. Cawleys today expressed their deepest condolences to Mr Coleman’s family.
Watford borough council is also undertaking a criminal investigation into the incident.
The inquest, at the Coroner’s Court in Hatfield, Hertfordshire heard that early on the morning of October 14 2014 Peter Coleman, 54, was trapped under the F&R Cawley refuse collection vehicle he was operating.
In the incident the vehicle caught fire after having rolled into a hedge area alongside the Woodside Leisure Park in Watford, where Mr Coleman was collecting refuse.
Mr Coleman had been operating the refuse collection vehicle at the Woodside Leisure Park in Watford (picture: Gail D’Almaine)
In 2014 it was reported (see letsrecycle.com story) that Mr Coleman had worked for Cawleys of Luton since 2011, was freed by firefighters and airlifted to Watford General Hospital, but died later from pelvic and head injuries.
The inquest heard that the vehicle involved had defective brakes and wiring. It was told that the father-of-two and grandfather-of-four, had got out of the cab to collect two commercial bins and had applied the handbrake.
The inquest heard that the vehicle was unroadworthy because of the brake defect and it moved off when Mr Coleman operated its lifting mechanism.
The jury heard that the driver became trapped under the rear wheels as the truck’s axles continued to rotate. After around seven minutes the vehicle caught fire and there was an explosion after another five minutes.
The jury was told that Mr Coleman, of Dunstable, Bedfordshire was trapped under the vehicle for around 90 minutes before he was taken to Watford General Hospital where he died. And they heard that a safety feature of the vehicle’s lifting equipment had been bypassed.
Lessons
Mr Coleman’s widow has caused for lessons to be learned following the conclusion of his inquest.
Following his death, his widow, Bev, instructed specialist serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
In a statement, the law firm said that Bev, 54, has now called on her husband’s employer, waste management firm F & R Cawley Limited, “to make safety improvements after the inquest was told that the vehicle Pete was trapped under had defective brakes and wiring.”
Speaking after the hearing she said: “It has been incredibly difficult to hear the findings of the inquest and ultimately how Pete’s death perhaps could and should have been prevented.
“I miss Pete so much but while nothing can change what has happened, my hope is that lessons will be learned to ensure that no other people have to endure the three years of hurt and pain our family has had to go through.
“I am grateful that Watford Borough Council have assured the Coroner that their investigation into the defects in the vehicle contributed to Pete’s death is ongoing. Safety must always come first.
“I would also like to thank the brave members of the public and all the emergency services who tried to rescue Pete.”
Worrying
Sofie Toft, a specialist workplace accident solicitor at Irwin Mitchell’s London office, representing the family, said: “The details outlined at this inquest have raised a number of hugely worrying concerns regarding safety of the vehicle that Pete was operating on the day he died. It is our view that, had the defects in Pete’s vehicle been rectified, his death could undoubtedly have been prevented.
“Following this hearing, we are now continuing with our work to ensure that Bev and the family gain justice regarding Pete’s death and the many issues which have been identified in relation to the incident. It is our view that there are clear improvements required to ensure the same never happens again.”
Irwin Mitchell said that Mr Coleman also leaves behind son Paul, 27, daughter Lisa, 16, and grandchildren nine-year-old Harvey, Jack aged seven, Ruby aged four and two-year old Michael.
Cawleys
A spokeswoman for F&R Cawley said today: “This is a tragic incident and the company has offered its deepest condolences to Peter Coleman’s family. We take our responsibilities for our employees, their families and the local community very seriously. The waste industry is highly regulated and we rigorously follow all safety procedures.
“I’m sure you will appreciate that we are unable to comment further on this very sad incident while investigations are continuing, and we will, of course, work with the relevant authorities as part of that process.”
Watford council
Watford borough council is investigating the incident as it has health and safety responsibilities because it occurred on local authority land.
Justine Hoy, head of environmental health & licensing at Watford borough council, said: “There is an active and ongoing criminal investigation considering compliance with health and safety legislation and regulations. The council is the enforcing authority in this case because it occurred on leisure premises. Our role is to act as regulators and we are independent of both the company involved and the family. We do, however, continue to offer our condolences to the family of Mr Coleman at this difficult time.”
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
