A LABOURER at a concrete factory was killed instantly when he was crushed beneath a steel shutter weighing almost a ton, an inquest heard.

Victor Flood, 35, and workmates were stripping a mould from a U-shaped concrete beam at CV Buchan Ltd, on Huncoat industrial estate, Bolton Avenue,

A jury returned a verdict of accidental death on the Accrington father of two after hearing conflicting evidence about why the shutter, part of the mould, became insecure and fell on him.

The inquest was told that Mr Flood, of Oswald Street, Accrington, was standing next to the shutter waiting for an overhead crane when workmates heard a loud bang.

In the opinion of Health and Safety Executive Inspector Martin Holden, the accident happened because the tie bar securing the shutter was removed before the shutter was attached to the crane.

He said the shutter was free standing and inherently unstable. It collapsed as a direct result of an unsafe working practice, not due to the failure of a mechanical component.

Supervisor Gerard McPoland said it was normal practice for the crane to be fastened to the shutter, taking its weight, before the last tie bar at the top was removed.

He told Coroner Andre Rebello that Mr Flood was always very careful and had worked at the factory for about 12 years.

"It's only my opinion, but we had the shutter resting on a block of timber and I think the timber split, the shutter dropped and the clamp flew off," said Mr McPoland.

HSE Inspector Mr Holden said the block-splitting probably resulted from the 16ft by 4ft shutter falling, rather than causing the shutter to fall.

Pathologist Dr William Lawler said Mr Flood had died from multiple injuries but had suffered several injuries, each of which would have proved fatal.

There were no eye-witnesses other than crane driver William Evans who was in his cab 25 ft off the ground.

Mr Evans said: "I saw Victor out of the corner of my eye and then the shutter coming over. I knew he was underneath it."

He sounded his warning klaxon and workmates used chains and the crane to lift the shutter, but Mr Flood was beyond help.

Mr Flood leaves a widow, Sandra, who was at the inquest, and a son and a daughter.

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