News
03 February 2010
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A CARPENTER was crushed to death at West Ham Station after a 300-kg bucket from a JCB fell on him.
An inquest heard how Henry Sheridan, 58, died instantly from the impact of the bucket, which was so powerful it dented his hard hat.
Workers rushed to help Mr Sheridan at the construction site for the DLR rail extension and had to use the machine to push the bucket off the father-of-two.
Despite efforts to revive him, a London Ambulance worker pronounced him dead at the scene at around 8.30am on December 3, 2008.
A post mortem found the cause of death to be multiple injuries, a jury at Walthamstow Coroner's Court heard.
Mr Sheridan, who lived in Luton but hailed from Co Cavan in the Republic of Ireland, was standing in the foundations of what will be one of the platforms for the £211m DLR line extension.
The Inquest heard that the JCB was not scheduled to be on site but the driver had offered to carry Mr Sheridan's heavy tools in the bucket.
The bucket was approximately two metres off the ground when it fell directly on to Mr Sheridan.
Taran Hewitt, a mechanical engineer from the Health and Safety Executive, used a similar machine parked outside the court to demonstrate to the jury how the bucket could have become detached.
He said there was evidence that one of the main hooks was not attached.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.