Citizen News

Chorley painter and decorator killed by reversing van

By Chris Gee

2:01pm Wednesday 25th January 2012

A PAINTER and decorator was killed when he was hit by a reversing van outside a cinema he was working at, an inquest has heard.

Carl Green, 45, was walking across a pedestrian area near the front of the building when the van, driven by his work colleague Michael Hoyle, collided with him.

Investigators from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told a jury inquest there were no procedures in place to segregate contractors’ vehicle movements from pedestrians where they were working.

Witness Paul Harrison, site manager for the workers from EMC Contracts, told the jury that vans used by staff and sub-contractors were designated to park in a block-paved area close to the front of the cinema, which was not normally allocated for vehicles.

Mr Harrison said he was outside the Odeon cinema in Port Way, Preston, where his team was creating a Costa Coffee shop in the foyer, when the incident happened.

Moments before Mr Green, of Steeley Lane, Chorley, was struck, Mr Harrison said he heard his colleague’s voice.

As he turned the van collided with him before he could warn either party.

Four vans, including Mr Hoyle’s Citroen Relay, were in the area on the day in question.

Floor layer Mr Hoyle said he did not see Mr Green in his mirrors.

“I pulled forward to be more in line and I could reverse back,” he said. “I checked left and right hand mirrors as I reversed.

“It went about 100 yards then I heard a bang and when I got out I saw Carl trapped underneath.”

An investigation by HSE investigator Steven Parncutt found a lack of procedures to minimise the risk posed by vehicles in the work area.

A jury of five men and four women returned a verdict of accidental death.

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