Columnist Ros Wynee Jones shares David Carpenter’s tragic story after he died while at work – his is one of 135 deaths reported to the authorities in the last 12 months as having resulted from fatal workplace injuries
Refuse collector David Carpenter was a family man, loved by people along his route, and his “brothers” who worked with him on the bins. A grandfather to 13 grandkids, he always had a smile and a wave as he did a job he’d done since he was 18.
But in January last year, David was clearing debris from the back of a bin lorry when a piece of his clothing got caught in the bin-lifting equipment, and he was dragged inside and killed during an automatic compacting cycle. David, 60, had worked for Coventry City Council for more than 40 years and was “devoted” to his job.
This week, an inquest found the training he had received was “inadequate”, and the vehicle he was working with could have been safer. The jury ruled his death was accidental but also highlighted a “foreseeable” risk and other “missed opportunities”. “The council failed him, in my opinion,” his step-daughter, Claire Chetwynd told me after the inquest concluded this week.
“And they failed the other workers he was with. It was horrendous for the other members of the team on that day, and they are really affected. There are millions of bins emptied every single day. That means there is no forgetting for us as a family.”
Following David’s death, manufacturer Dennis Eagle Ltd offered a software upgrade to make its bin lorries safer. David’s family are calling for the upgrade to be mandatory. But Thompsons Solicitors, representing David’s family, supported by Unite the Union, says the jury heard that thousands of similar vehicles are currently on the road up and down the country – with only a very small percentage having upgraded software.
Coventry Council says they have upgraded all 52 bin lorries in their fleet with the new software – at a cost of £650 per lorry. Asked how it could justify charging for the updates, Dennis Eagle Ltd said it is “still reviewing the coroner’s recommendations with a view to developing a suitable upgrade package to our customers”.
This Sunday, International Workers Memorial Day, trade unionists and others pause to remember everyone who has lost their lives due to work. For David’s family, as they struggle to process their grief, the day will be especially poignant.
David’s is one of 135 deaths reported to the authorities in the last 12 months as having resulted from fatal injuries at work. The independent Hazards Campaign, backed by the TUC, says the number is more like 1,459 deaths caused by work incidents every year in Britain. Every one of those deaths leaves families like David’s devastated.
“Hundreds of people turned out for David’s funeral,” Claire says. “We couldn’t fit everyone in. So many people knew him, people who worked with him or he’d say hello to in the morning. He was such a family man. He had 13 grandkids. He lived for simple things like fishing at the weekends, taking the grandkids with him. He worked for the council from the age of 18 with only a small break when he tried something else. But he said he realised he wanted to get back to the bins. David was a hard worker. On a Monday there were no bin collections, so he’d collect for another council, and he’d always do extra events like festivals.
“My mum had known him for years so when he became our stepdad 12 years ago it was like he’d always been in our family. But 12 years wasn’t long enough.
“As his adult children, you just think he won’t see our children grow now. It’s really, really hard.” After the inquest, Claire spoke of her “alarm” at revelations concerning the lack of proper training for refuse collectors, especially on how to safely clear blockages in the equipment – a routine hazard in their daily work.
“If these policies and procedures had been in place when David was working, he would still be with us now,” she says.
Dennis Eagle manufactures more than 1,000 vehicles every year for local authorities and private sector contractors.
In February, father-of-two Richard Hopkins, 39, was taken to hospital with head injuries from the company’s manufacturing site at Heathcote Industrial Estate at Royal Leamington Spa , and subsequently died. Warwickshire Police say his death is under a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive. Dennis Eagle says the incident is “unconnected to the automatic bin lift system that was considered in this inquest”.
A spokeswoman added: “All of us at Dennis Eagle Ltd are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Mr Carpenter and wish to express our deepest sympathies towards his family, friends and colleagues.
“Safeguarding all operators using our products, together with the general public, is a top priority. With this in mind, we will continue to update our products as technologies develop and have already made available to our customers an upgrade which enhances the safety of existing products in service. We have never compromised on safety and never will.
“All of our products meet or exceed all relevant standards and regulations.”
A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said: “David Carpenter was a much-loved and a popular crew member and our thoughts are with his family, friends and work colleagues. The Council will continue to consider all evidence given at the inquest and to work with all partners to ensure the waste services industry remains as safe as it possibly can be.”
The family’s solicitor Karl De-Loyde said David’s death was a “tragedy waiting to happen”. He said: “Throughout the inquest the court heard clear evidence that there were serious failings with the council’s risk assessments in place at the time of Mr Carpenter’s death, a failure to learn from previous incidents and significant safety concerns with the vehicle itself.”
At the inquest, coroner Delroy Henry praised Mr Carpenter’s family, saying they had demonstrated “such a strength of character and fortitude of soul that it warrants a public acknowledgement”. He added: “As a family, individually and collectively, you have demonstrated an unwavering resilience… David would be proud.”
David’s sister Jane spoke on behalf of his siblings and his 83-year-old mother. “There’s no-one quite like David,” she said. “Just think of him every day of your lives.
“When you see them lads out working hard on the street, remember him with pride, just like we will.”
