Sea defence work accident
It has been revealed that a sea defence contract worker died after getting trapped beneath a bulldozer.
The tragedy occurred on St Nicholas road, Portslade, near Brighton, where the worker for the Environmental Agency, was carrying out beach replenishment work on the morning of November 20.
The Health and Safety Executive is currently investigating the accident at Medmerry in Selsey, to understand how the 60-year-old worker died.
Despite the incident, the shingle sea defence company have been allowed to continue work. However, employment was suspended after the misfortune while police and HSE officers visited the scene and carried out preliminary inquests.
The incident happened about 7am at West Sands Caravan Park. The fire service and paramedics were called to the scene, but he died in hospital after freeing himself from under the machine.
The worker managed to call for an ambulance and spoke to an operator, but he is believed to have suffered a heart attack.
A spokesman from the Environment Agency said: “We were told to stop on the day and because of the flood risk down there and the essential nature of the maintenance work, we have been allowed to carry on.”
Environment Agency southern regional director Toby Willison commented: “We are deeply saddened by the news a contractor working on behalf of the Environment Agency has died in an accident.
“We wish to express our deepest sympathies to all those affected by this tragic accident. The circumstances are being investigated by police and the Health and Safety Executive and a report will be submitted to the West Sussex coroner.”
Bulldozer deaths
In similar news it has been revealed that two private bulldozer operators who worked in the engineers industry have died.
It is thought that the land where they were working caved in and the transport flipped into water upside down, trapping the men inside. Their bodies were recovered from the cold water.
Bill Rasco, from the county police said on the work accident: “We did recover the bodies out of the cab of the bulldozer about midnight Tuesday. Some people [...] saw what appeared to be the bulldozer in the water and tracks leading to where it turned over.
“From what we understand they were doing some clearing for the Corps and getting some debris out of the river,” Rasco stated. He said the two men could have gone back to the site over the weekend. “We don’t really know.”
County coroner Jeff Pounder, stated that the recent rains more than likely caused the bank to cave in and that the deaths were determined to be accidental freshwater drowning.
Updated on 14/12/2009