Published Date:
09 July 2009
By Stephen Briggs
A PETERBOROUGH agency worker died when he was struck by a tonne of glass sheets while helping to unload them in a procedure described as "inherently unsafe", an inquest heard.
Vitalijus Orlovas was killed on his first day at Arken POP Ltd, in St Neots, on August 18 last year.
The 29-year-old, of Oundle Road, Peterborough, was sent by an agency to work at the site, which manufactures advertising boards for the London Underground.
But an inquest at Huntingdon on Tuesday heard that Mr Orlovas had no experience in handling glass – and nor did four other members of the team.
Mr Orlovas suffered fatal injuries when the glass fell onto him.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Linda-Jane Rigby said: “HSE’s opinion is that they would be inherently unstable when stored upright unless they were secured in some way.
“We heard from a witness they had to remove straps to break the crates and get the glass out but it appears at the time when they took the glass out there was nothing holding the crate or glass in place.”
She said the company did not handle such large sizes of glass regularly and “did not have the experience to handle them safely”.
The inquest jury gave a verdict of accidental death. The HSE investigation continues.
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Last Updated:
09 July 2009 8:44 AM
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Source:
Peterborough ET
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Location:
Peterborough
