Woman killed by loading shovel

The Health and Safety Executive has been investigating the accident

The driver of mechanical shovel told an inquest he had not seen a woman who died after she was hit by the machine at a Suffolk factory.

Lorraine Waspe, 40, from Great Finborough near Stowmarket, was working at the British Sugar plant in Bury St Edmunds when the accident happened on 5 February.

Mrs Waspe was a despatch clerk at the factory.

She was working in an animal feed warehouse where a large mechanical shovel was used to load up lorries.

The inquest at Bury St Edmunds, which opened on Thursday, heard she had been hit by the mechanical shovel as she approached driver Robert Cockle who had left the cab of his lorry.

Safety issues

Tickets issued to drivers as they arrived at the warehouse instructed them to stay in their cabs.

Mr Cockle told the inquest he saw the loading shovel hit her head and push her to the floor.

Donald Bowers, who was driving the shovel, told the inquest: "I simply did not see her."

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been investigating the accident.

Frank Sykes, of the HSE, told coroner Dr Peter Dean that the accident had raised a number of safety issues at the factory.

He said there were no signs restricting pedestrian access and a number of blind corners with no mirrors.

The inquest is expected to last until Friday.