Coroner urges safety check

A CORONER has urged the firm running Heathfield's civic amenity site to commission a health and safety check after an accident in which an elderly man died.

Frederick Manning, 81, a fit and active great-grandfather, died after tripping and banging his head at the site.

Mr Manning, of High Street, Horam, caught his foot on a low step leading to the garden waste compactor on March 24. He lost his balance and hit his head on the edge of the steel skip.

He was rushed to hospital suffering from paralysing spinal injuries and a small cut on his forehead. He died four days later.

Mr Manning's son Ivan, who was with his father at the time of the accident, told the inquest in Eastbourne on Thursday last week: 'I'm registered partially sighted so my father drove the car. In many activities like DIY my father was my eyes.'

He said his father was a regular visitor to the gym and was very fit.

His father was carrying two bags of garden refuse and caught his foot under the step to the compactor, staggered forward and struck his head.

Pathologist Dr Jane Mercer said Mr Manning had died from a condition called shock lung, which can be caused by a severe or shocking injury. It causes distress in the victim's breathing and often complete respiratory failure.

After hearing the details of Mr Manning's accident, coroner Alan Craze suggested that SITA the company that manages the county council-owned site should pay for a professional health and safety investigation into the site.

He told site manager Alan Knott: 'I think it would be wise to get a consultant in to look at the dangers on the site. The last thing anyone in East Sussex wants is another accident like this to happen.

'I think it would be in your company's interests and in those of the general public to get some professional advice on this.'

Mr Knott said that the equipment on-site at Heathfield was made to industry standards, including the 6cm step up to the waste compactors.

Ramp

Health and safety inspector Andrew Cousins told the inquest that a brightly-painted metal ramp has been fitted to the step since Mr Manning's accident to help prevent further trips.

'Ramps are the industry standard remedy for tripping risks,' said Mr Cousins. 'When I saw the site, I could see that there was a lot of room for improvement. It probably satisfies the bare bones of health and safety requirements.'

The jury at the inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Ivan Manning said after the inquest: 'That place is still an accident waiting to happen. Someone really needs to do a proper health and safety study there as soon as possible.'