Bin worker's lorry crush death 'foreseeable'
A council refuse collector died of fatal crush injuries in a "foreseeable" accident on a residential round, an inquest has concluded.
David Carpenter's coat was accidentally caught in the vehicle's lifting equipment on 19 January 2023, the inquest heard.
The 60-year-old was dropped in the back of the lorry before an automatic compacting cycle started.
In delivering their narrative verdict, the jurors told area coroner Delroy Henry that evidence showed the vehicle could have been safer.
The jury concluded sensors were activated after Mr Carpenter leaned over the working machinery of the refuse collection vehicle (RCV).
"Evidence shows that additional mechanical and safety features would have made the RCV safer," the jury said.
They concluded it was probable a transparent screen impeded Mr Carpenter's access to an emergency stop button and he probably thought the vehicle's rear was safe to enter.
They said the evidence presented to them confirmed the risk of a person's clothing becoming entangled was "forseeable" and described a risk assessment as "inadequate, insufficient and incomplete".
They also noted there was no specific training on how refuse workers should remove debris from a machine.
"A culture of underreporting incidents and near misses contributed to increased risk of missed opportunities to keep Mr Carpenter safe," jurors said.
The court previously heard Mr Carpenter described by relatives as a warm, humble and loving family man.
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