A coroner has issued a warning to road workers not to urinate between the rear axles of large goods vehicles (LGVs) following a fatal accident in Dorset.
Thomas McAuley was part of a six-person crew undertaking road resurfacing work for Kiely Brothers Ltd in Redwood Drive, Ferndown, when he died in an accident in July 2022.
The 52-year-old had placed himself between the third and fourth axles of a four-axle 32-tonne grab lorry on the site, when the lorry’s driver – who was unaware of his location – moved the vehicle forward a short distance at a low speed, according to a coroner’s report.
McAuley died following “catastrophic injuries”, said coroner Brendan Allan, who concluded an inquest into the death last month.
The coroner said McAuley “likely” went between the axles “so that he could urinate”, noting evidence that “it is common practice for members of roadwork crews to use the space between the rear axles of LGVs to urinate, even when a welfare van has been provided on site”.
Allan said that while employees of Kiely Brothers no longer “engage in this practice” after the death of their colleague, “there was no evidence available at the inquest to suggest [McAuley’s] death had had an impact on the industry more widely”.
In a prevention of future deaths report sent to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the coroner said: “If the practice of using the space between the rear axles [to urinate] of an LGV is ongoing, there remains a risk of future deaths, as any small movement of the vehicle can cause fatal injuries.
“I am not aware of any safety notice(s) being issued since McAuley’s death or any wider publicity that may have highlighted the risk.
“Ensuring that companies undertaking road resurfacing work or similar are made aware of the risk that this practice is ongoing will enable them to take measures to address this potential risk.”
The coroner said the HSE has a duty to respond to his report by 27 September.
A HSE spokesperson said: “We provided assistance to the coroner during the inquest of Thomas McAuley. Following its conclusion, we received a prevention of future deaths report and are considering its content.
“We remain committed to working with industry to improve safety.”
