A laundry worker died after being trapped inside an industrial washing machine for more than two hours – because staff did not know there was an escape hatch, an inquest has heard.
Paul Clegg, 23, died from heat exhaustion after getting inside the 13-metre long drum of the machine to clear a blockage.
Attempts to carry Mr Clegg out of the machine at the Sunlight Textile Services laundry in Bournemouth failed and firefighters had to cut a large hole in the side of the appliance.
The Bournemouth inquest heard that no-one on duty at the time had been given training to deal with removing blockages from the machine.
David Lewis, the engineer on duty at the time, said the problems with the machine started at about 0730 BST on March 21.
Mr Clegg and several colleagues climbed into the machine after sheets became blocked.
The machine, which washed sheets and towels in temperatures of up to 75 degrees, had been on shortly before Mr Clegg entered it.
Mr Lewis said he had got into the front part of the machine to help bring out the sheet causing the blockage but he did not like confined spaces so did not go in any further.
Mr Lewis told the court he had no engineering qualifications and had learned about the machine, which was installed two years previously, while “on the job”.
He told the coroner that Mr Clegg, from Bournemouth, was thought to have been inside for about an hour before firefighters arrived.
‘Still conscious’
Fire station commander Tim Spring said his crew arrived at about 0938 BST and Mr Clegg was still conscious.
Mr Spring said: “I asked on three or four occasions if there was an access panel on the machine. They said there was not.”
Questioned by solicitor Christopher Orchard, representing Mr Clegg’s family, Mr Lewis said he knew there had been a manual about the machine.
Mr Orchard asked if he had read it, or if anyone else had read it, to which Mr Lewis relied “no”.
After Mr Clegg was cut free at 1113 BST, he was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.
A post-mortem examination put the cause of death as hyperthermia.
The inquest continues.
>From The BBC