§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details, in the form given by the central health and safety unit annual accidents report, of the circumstances of the four fatalities which occurred during the period July to September.
§ Mr. CopeOn 5 August a trainee was working at a garage removing dust from the rear of a petrol tanker with an airline whilst the proprietor was welding a crack in the main tank. An explosion occurred causing extensive damage to the building and fatal injuries to the trainee.
On 16 August a trainee electrician was working up a ladder on the side of a building clipping electric cables to trunking. It is understood that the trainee fell from the ladder and received fatal injuries.
On 18 August a trainee was working on an agricultural engineering scheme where he was assisting the foreman who was replacing the rear boom of a mechanical digger/loader. The arm of the digger was supported on a tyre and a trolley jack. The driver of the digger/loader was asked to lower the jack and during this process the rear boom arm and the bucket collapsed and fell on the trainee causing fatal injuries.
473WOn 14 September a trainee offered to drive a workmate (an electrician) to a job as the workmate's car had broken down. The trainee used his own car but on the way collided with a lorry after pulling out of a minor road. The workmate survived but the trainee received fatal injuries.
The inquests or fatal accident inquiries on all four fatalities are still outstanding.