Bin worker's lorry crush death 'foreseeable'A council refuse collector was crushed to death in a "foreseeable" accident on a residential round in Coventry, an inquest has concluded.
David Carpenter's coat became entangled in the lifting equipment on 19 January 2023 before he was dropped in the back of the bin lorry as an automatic compaction cycle started.
In delivering their narrative verdict, jurors said evidence showed the vehicle could have been safer.
The manufacturer Dennis Eagle Ltd said it respected the jury's conclusion and had released an upgrade to improve safety.
The jury concluded sensors were activated after the 60-year-old leaned over the working machinery.
"Evidence shows that additional mechanical and safety features would have made the RCV [refuse collection vehicle] safer," they said.
They concluded it was likely a transparent screen impeded Mr Carpenter's access to an emergency stop button and he probably thought the vehicle's rear was safe to enter.
Evidence presented to them showed the risk of a person's clothing becoming entangled was "foreseeable" the jury foreman said, describing a risk assessment as "inadequate, insufficient and incomplete".
They also noted there was no specific training on how refuse workers should remove debris from a machine.
"A culture of under reporting incidents and near misses contributed to increased risk of missed opportunities to keep Mr Carpenter safe," jurors added.
The grandfather, an experienced refuse collector of more than 40 years, was on Guild Road in the Foleshill area on the morning of his death.
The coroner's court previously heard he had been described by relatives as a warm, humble and loving family man.
He had been collecting bins from the side of the road and emptying them into the lorry with driver Rafal Gancarz and fellow operative Sean Isherwood.
According to a union official, Mr Carpenter had been "agitated and stressed" before starting his shift due to a dispute with a supervisor.
At about 10:00 GMT, his jacket got caught in the lifting equipment at the back of the lorry.
A member of the public saw him thrown into the vehicle's rear before alerting Mr Isherwood, who hit the truck's emergency stop button.