Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2019

David Mobsby

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2019-0087, written 11 Mar 2019. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report11 Mar 2019
Reference2019-0087
DeceasedDavid Mobsby
CoronerVeronica Hamilton-Deeley
Coroner areaBrighton and Hove
CategoryAccident at Work and Health and Safety related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses publishednone published

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.

VERONICA HAMILTON-DEELEY DL, THE CORONER’S OFFICE

LL.B. WOODVALE, LEWES ROAD
Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner BRIGHTON
for the City of Brighton & Hove BN2 3QB
Assistant Coroners Telephone: Brighton (01273) 292046
CATHARINE PALMER LL.B (HONS) Fax: Brighton (01273) 292047

GILVA D.J.TISSHA W, BA(LAW)HONS

CORONERS SOCIETY OF ENGLAND AND WALES
ANNEX A
REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS (1)

NOTE: This form is to be used after an inquest.

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

1. Chairman of the Board of Governors, Blatchington
Mill School, Hove

Head Teacher, Blatchington Mill School, Hove

Business Manager, Blatchington Mill School, Hove

Mr Geoff Raw, Chief Executive, Brighton and Hove City Council

Senior Lawyer, Brighton and Hove City Council
Head of Health and Safety, Brighton and Hove City
ounci

7. ES cad Consultant — Health, Safety & Wellbeing Team,
Human Resources & Organisation Development, Brighton and Hove
City Council

AABN

4 CORONER

| am Veronica HAMILTON-DEELEY, Senior Coroner, for the City of Brighton and
Hove

[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 23 August 2018 | commenced an investigation into the death of David
Alexander MOBSBY. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 25
26" 27" 28" February and the 1° and 4"" March 2019. The conclusion of the
inquest was a NARRATIVE CONCLUSION.

4 CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH
See Record of Inquest

——L__

VERONICA HAMILTON-DEELEY DL, THE CORONER’S OFFICE

LL.B. WOODVALE, LEWES ROAD
Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner BRIGHTON
for the City of Brighton & Hove BN2 3QB
Assistant Coroners Telephone: Brighton (01273) 292046
CATHARINE PALMER LL.B (HONS) - Fax: Brighton (01273) 292047

GILVA D.J.TISSHAW, BA(LAW)HONS

“7

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) Brighton and Hove City Council were “advising” Blatchington Mill School
(BMS) on health and safety.

They were apparently using a template which made no mention of work at
height when considering the health and safety of the facilities
(caretaking/cleaning) department at BMS.

This is dangerous and may have led to the fact that neither of their audits of
2014 or 2018 made any mention of the risks associated with and training
requirements regarding working at height.

(2) Although Mr MOBSBY was employed either by Brighton and Hove City
Council or BMS or a combination of the two, he was not monitored or
instructed in his work.

He was allowed to choose how, when and where he worked.

Even though anyone who knew his job description or knew Mr MOBSBY was
aware that he was using ladders and step ladders he was untrained with
regard to working at height.

e On the 3% August 2018 he was unchallenged when he announced his
work programme for the day.

e His line manager’s did not instruct him with regard to the jobs he did,
even though those jobs were considered to be unnecessary by the
managers.

e No methodology was explored when he announced his job for the
day, there was no discussion about the equipment that he was going
fo use. .

e There was no risk assessment undertaken in respect of any of the
jobs that he did.

e He was allowed to work alone and unsupervised. He lay alone and
unconscious for 9-10 minutes before he was spotted. It was over 20
minutes before CPR was started. There was no first aider or
designated person on the school site that day.

* His working environment on the 3 August 2018 meant that he was
working with ambient temperatures of around 26 degrees centigrade.

e He was not wearing a hat and he worked in the heat initially and then
in direct sunlight latterly, from 0848 hrs until his fall at 1255 hrs having
taken one forty minute break at 1100 hrs.

VERONICA HAMILTON-DEELEY DL, THE CORONER’S OFFICE

LL.B. "WOODVALE, LEWES ROAD
Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner BRIGHTON
for the City of Brighton & Hove BN2 3QB
Assistant Coroners ; Telephone: Brighton (01273) 292046
CATHARINE PALMER LL.B (HONS) Fax: Brighton (01273) 292047

GILVA D.J.TISSHAW, BA(LAW)HONS

-

e Itseems clear that working at BMS formed a huge part of Mr
MOBSBY's life. He had been there for many years and was
probably set in his ways and not amenable to being managed.

e Those managing him were all relatively new to their managerial posts
and yet none of them had received any management training. It was
clear they had no idea how to deal with him. .

e They were not assisted by the fact that it was supposed to be the case
that every employee was appraised annually.

e There was no evidence at all to suggest that Mr MOBSBY had ever
been appraised. :

| am concerned that this situation which was demonstrated to be in existence at
BMS could well be replicated, not only throughout Brighton and Hove, but
throughout England and Wales and this is the reason why this Report has been
sent to the Department of Education and | think the matters raised in it should have
wider discussion throughout the Country.

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you
AND your organisation have 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 315' May 2019. I, 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

BE | Bother

1.

2. Regulatory Inspector, Health and Safety Executive
3. a Health and Safety Inspectorate

4. Secretary of State for Education, Department of Education

5. Secretary of State for Health, Department of Health

6. Simon Stevens, Chief Executive, NHS England

VERONICA HAMILTON-DEELEY DL, THE CORONER’S OFFICE

LL.B, WOODVALE, LEWES ROAD
Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner BRIGHTON
for the City of Brighton & Hove BN2 3QB
Assistant Coroners Telephone: Brighton (01273) 292046
CATHARINE PALMER LL.B (HONS) Fax: Brighton (01273) 292047

GILVA D.J.TISSHAW, BA(LAW)HONS

| 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.

9 Date: 11" March 2019 SIGNED BY:

nr

Senior Coroner Brighton and Hov

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