18.06.2012

Loader crane inquest suspended

An inquest in Canberra, Australia, into the death of a man crushed by the boom of a slewing loader crane has been suspended after the coroner announced that he had found reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence has been committed.

Geoffrey William Gowan, 57, an employee of SITA Environmental Solutions was loading a waste hopper in the early hours of January 13th 2009, when he became trapped between the crane’s boom and the control fixed control station at the side of the truck.

He colleague tried to help and paramedics arrived on the scene a short time later, but Gowan was already dead. He had been employed by SITA for just a week and had received no training on the safe use of the crane.

The police had already voiced concerns about the lack of experience and training, and other witnesses at the inquest raised serious concerns about the training that SITA’s Canberra branch provided for those using the crane, a Palfinger articulated loader crane.

Coroner Peter Dingwall said: “I have reasonable grounds to believe an indictable offence has been committed by a party appearing in the inquest.” SITA, two former SITA managers, the employment company Adecco and manufacturer Palfinger were represented at the inquest.

Dingwall also made an interim ruling there would be no adverse findings against Sonnie Pty, which trades as Palfinger Australia.

The coroner will now write to the office of the director of public prosecutions, which will consider the evidence and decide whether to proceed with a prosecution under the territory’s occupational health and safety legislation.

The inquest will be suspended until either a decision is made not to proceed with a prosecution, or three months have elapsed without a case being brought.
See original accident report