Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2015

Peter Buckle

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2015-0425, written 3 Nov 2015. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report3 Nov 2015
Reference2015-0425
DeceasedPeter Buckle
CoronerJacqueline Lake
Coroner areaNorfolk
CategoryAccident at Work and Health and Safety related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published1

The report

Text recovered by OCR from a scanned PDF. OCR is imperfect: check anything you rely on against the source PDF. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS
THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

Managing Director
Wayland Farms Limited
Little Melton Food Park
Beckhithe

Little Melton

Norwich NR9 3NP

1 | CORONER

| am JACQUELINE LAKE, senior coroner, for the coroner area of NORFOLK

2 | CORONER'S LEGAL POWERS

| make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013.

3 | INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On 26 March 2015 | commenced an investigation into the death of PETER JOHN
BUCKLE, AGED 67 YEARS. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on
29 OCTOBER 2015. The conclusion of the inquest was Medical Cause of Death: 1a)
Traumatic Subarachnoid Haemorrhage b) Hinge fracture of skull. Conclusion:
Misadventure.

4 | CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

On 24 March 2015, whilst at work, Mr Buckle was instructed to load rubbish onto his
trailer. The telehandler was not working so it was suggested the rubbish was to be
thrown into the trailer by hand. It was then felt the sides of the trailer were too high. It
was decided to prop open the tailgate with a post. A post was propped against the
tailgate but it slipped causing the tailgate to fall resulting in injury to Mr Buckle. He was
airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital where he died later that day from his injuries. Health
and safety procedures were in place at the time of the incident and since the incident a
“Stop and Think” campaign which had been identified earlier, has been put in place.

5 | CORONER'S CONCERNS

During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern.
In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. In the
circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.

The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows. —

(1) Although a risk assessment was in place for the original method of carrying out the
task (with the telehandler and grab), once this method was no longer viable a risk
assessment was not carried out or considered prior to steps being taken with regard to
the next method under consideration, namely to throw the rubbish over the side of the
trailer; in that the trailer was reversed to the rubbish site, a telephone call was made to 2
other employees to assist and protective equipment was being obtained. This left Mr
Buckle to assume the work was to be carried out in this way, whether or not the Site
Manager was of the view the method of work was still under consideration. In any event
this method of carrying out the work was blatantly unsafe.

(2) The employees left at the site of the rubbish, decided on a third method of carrying

out the work, without any thought for heaith and safety. Although health and safety
induction training had been undertaken and managers had received further training, a
health and safety culture was not apparent from the evidence, particularly at “ground
level’.

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe your
organisation has the power to take such action.

YOUR RESPONSE ”

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report,
namely by 31 December 2015. |, the coroner, may extend the period.

Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out
the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed.

COPIES and PUBLICATION

| have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested
Persons:

(via Thompsons Solicitors)
Health & Safety Executive (Paul Unwin)
RoSPA

| am also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your response.

The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary
form. He may send a copy_of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful
or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your
response, about the release or the publication of your response by the Chief Coroner.

3 November 2015

Jacqueline Lake
Senior Coroner for Norfolk

Responses

1 response published against this report on judiciary.uk. A response is a body's written reply to the coroner's concerns; publication is at the discretion of the Chief Coroner's office, so an absent response does not mean nobody replied.

Response from Respondent Not Named (PDF)
_ Wayland Farms Limited
Little Meiton Food Park

~~

Tel 01603 813830

FARMS I rm Fax 01603 812091

Our reference: 2015/1387770/S EH
Wayland Farms
RMS/NFUQ563-2

Your reference:

Dear Ms Lake
Mr Peter Buckle (deceased) v Wayland Farms Ltd

We write further to Regulation 28: Report to Prevent Future Deaths dated 3
November 2015.

In relation to your concerns detailed in the Report we confirm that since Mr Buckle’s
accident the

following measures have been implemented:

New Programmes:

Wayland Farms Limited has put in place new programmes to deal with health and
safety since the accident. We refer to Page 2 of the Health & Safety Executive’s Fatal
Incident Report dated 28" April 2015 in this regard (copy attached marked Exhibit
“1"), A training program based around behavioural safety with the aim of improving
the safety culture within Wayland Farms Ltd has been completed, this was a blend of
theory and practice in both an engaging and thought- provoking way to enable
smarter decisions and actions in relation to tasks and situations occurring that fall
outside of what is expected to be the normal procedure or activity.

This program called “stop and think” has been designed to help the worker
understand the significance and importance of planning for key decisions’ when
activities or procedures have a need to be amended due to a change in circumstance.
The significant element of this program being the worker is asked to stop and contact
their Unit Manager at the critical point; the decision and task planning is then carried
out as a duel role with both levels of competence, the objective being to prevent the
worker taking quick or hasty actions in an “act now, think later” way. Management

Registered in England No: 6727508

Wayland Farms Limited
Little Melton Food Park

<n

Tel 01603 813830

FARMS UTD Fax 01603 812091

further training ensuring that there is an emphasis on the necessity for
communication cascading from the manager to the workers.

Training:

The Solicitors on behalf of Wayland Farms Ltd, Robin Simon LLP, have also offered to
speak to the directors and managers in addition to training being provided by
Wayland Farms Health & Safety and Environmental Manager. it is believed that an
external person speaking to the directors and managers will assist in emphasising and
ensuring that manager understand their responsibilities, following which the
managers can then reiterate and enforce health and safety issues with employees,

Disciplinary Action:

Wayland Farms Ltd acknowledges that disciplinary action needs to be taken where
there is a breach of health and safety procedures.

Written Documentation:

Wayland Farms Ltd acknowledge that there needs to be greater written
documentation in relation to safety communications, and risk assessments regarding
what happens when things change in the course of the work being undertaken.
Wayland Farms Ltd plan to take steps that safety critical communications are
confirmed in writing as and when carried out.

Plan of Actilon/Further Re-iteration:

It is apparent that the measures referred to above are being undertaken on a
continual improvement basis with enhanced focus since the Claimant’s accident.
With regards to enforcement and the associated training, It Is anticipated that
operational directors will have received the legislation update and guidance
pertaining to this during the last 2 weeks in January 2016,

A new Health and Safety Audit has just been completed and a trial completed in
December 2015, The new Audit incorporates staff interviews to validate the
knowledge and understanding of the information, instruction, training and
supervision provided by Wayland Farms Ltd. The new Audit will be carried out per
unit annually, and will incorporate 10% of staff being interviewed.

Registerad in England No; 6727508

ange

Wayland Farms Limited

FARMS Tm Fax 01603 812091

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to-contact us.

Yours sincerely

op :

Glenn Dams Charles Bowes
Managing Director Director

Registered in England No: 6727608

Related reports

Other reports by Jacqueline Lake

See all →

More reports categorised “Accident at Work and Health and Safety related deaths”

See all →

Track Accident at Work and Health and Safety related deaths

See every Prevention of Future Deaths report matching Accident at Work and Health and Safety related deaths, and how often a new one appears.

What would an alert for this have sent me? Search the full text

Free to try — the preview shows the real matches and how many arrived in the last 12 months. Your first email alert is free.

These reports are published by the Chief Coroner's office at judiciary.uk and are © Crown copyright. The text here is reproduced from the published PDF so it can be searched. If something on this page is wrong, or you are a person named in it and want it reviewed, email drcjar@gmail.com and we will act promptly.