Safety call after cleaner's death

The death of a contract cleaner crushed while using a 'cherry-picker' has prompted a coroner to call for better safety at plant hire firms.

Paul Edwards, 38, from Bartley Green, Birmingham, was repairing fire damage at Fish Brothers' garage in Swindon when the accident happened in 2002. He became pinned between its cage and a steel girder when using the mechanical lifting platform, an inquest heard.

Coroner Nigel Brookes recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.

He said he would be writing to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about the possibility of better training and familiarisation of workers using plant hire machines.

Improved safety

Mr Brookes also called for better labelling on machines and the introduction of improved safety guards on their levers and buttons.

Cox Plant Hire Ltd, which hired out the cherry-picker to specialist damage cleaning firm IDM Ltd, has voluntary introduced some of the changes.

Neither Cox Plant Hire or IDM Ltd, part of Merryhill Envirotech Ltd, commented on the outcome of the inquest.

Mr Edwards brother, Stephen, 48, said he was very disappointed the jury had been told a verdict of unlawful killing was not appropriate for consideration by the coroner.

"We're all just gutted really. If we'd have had better training we could have got him down, but we didn't have a clue what to do.

"We just wanted someone from the firm to say they were responsible."

A spokesman for the HSE said they were considering further legal action.