Forklift Driver Dies Trapped Under Railings at North Yorkshire Firm

A man from North Yorkshire died in a work accident. His name was Gary Lee James, and he was from Middlesbrough. The incident occurred on January 8, 2019, during his morning shift.

Gary worked as a forklift driver for Ward Brothers, a haulage firm. He was inside a shipping container at the time. Metal railings trapped him by the neck, and the framework weighed around 150kg.

Gary, age 30, suffered a brain injury in the accident. People found him unresponsive, and emergency services went to the Dormor Way depot. CPR was performed immediately, and he went to James Cook University Hospital. Sadly, he died two days later.

A pathologist, Dr. David Scoones, examined Gary and said the cause of death was a brain injury. This happened because of a cardiac arrest, and asphyxia caused the cardiac arrest.

Pressure on his head, neck and chest caused the asphyxia. The pressure came from the metal structure. His former manager got a call about the accident, asking him to come in early because Gary was trapped. He received another call soon after, informing him Gary was in cardiac arrest and he was told to contact Gary’s family.

The former manager described Gary as a “brilliant worker” and a nice person. Ward Brothers offered support to Gary’s family after the accident. Gary had worked there since October 2018. His job included warehouse work and forklift operation.

In 2018, the company secured a deal with Asda to move goods to Teesport under a shipping contract. Gary’s family attended an inquest recently, stating that after five years, they still seek answers. His father expressed that their family is broken and they don’t understand how this tragedy occurred.

The coroner has issued a report addressing the prevention of future deaths. She highlighted numerous health and safety concerns within the workplace. The report listed several issues, including the absence of a risk assessment, work being done on trial and error, and inadequate training.

Unsafe equipment was used, PPE was lacking, work conditions were bad, and health and safety concerns were ignored. The report also noted a lack of a first-aider present and inadequate supervision of employees. The staff were told to “get on with tasks,” even if danger was present.

Ward Brothers must now respond within 56 days, detailing actions taken and proposed. If no action is planned, they must explain why.