Death At Work – Industrial Accident Inquest Ongoing

The inquest into the death of a Stourbridge man due to an industrial accident on the 2nd of September is still ongoing, the local newspaper writes.

Twenty-three-year-old Mitchell Pountney died at his workplace, Cutting Edge Skirting in Rowley Regis, though there were no direct witnesses on the scene and no CCTV footage exists.

Midlands Air Ambulance attended the incident, but Mr. Pountney had suffered multiple serious injuries and thus, pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation was launched by the Health and Safety Executive, which reached the pre-inquest review on the 10th of December at Oldbury’s Black Country Coroner’s Court.

BLM – the law firm representing the workplace, stated:

“Mitchell was very well-liked by all who worked there.

“The company will do everything it can do to assist the HSE in investigating this accident.”

An update on the progress of the case is expected to be presented to the Coroner on the 20th of January, 2020, it was concluded.

What is the HSE’s role in such a case?

When an accident of this nature occurs, the HSE is obligated to carry out an investigation in order to determine the cause, share lessons, identify what actions are needed to prevent recurrence and where appropriate, gather evidence to bring criminal prosecution.

Whilst the HSE doesn’t investigate everything that is reported to it, it is important that all relevant incidents and/or concerns are submitted to it under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) to ensure it is able to consider all potential issues and continue to help improve health and safety standards across the board.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

For any information regarding accidents in the workplace, contact our team on 0113 200 9720, from the contact form on this page or by emailing enquiries@oakwoodsolicitors.co.uk for a free 30-minute consultation.