Funeral Director Crushed by Mortuary Lift in Norfolk Parlour Tragedy
An undertaker was discovered crushed to death by a piece of equipment designed to move bodies from a refrigeration unit in the back room of a funeral parlour, a coroner's inquest has heard. The tragic incident occurred at the East of England Co-op Funeral Services branch in Swaffham, Norfolk, on December 1, 2023.
Discovery of the Fatal Incident
Funeral administrator Sally Blundell, 58, had been working alone at the premises when she was found trapped in a scissor lift that is typically used to lift caskets in and out of the fridge. The grandmother was discovered by a colleague from another branch after concerns were raised by a family who had a pre-arranged appointment at the funeral parlour but found no staff present.
Stephen Kemp, a funeral manager at the Dereham branch, rang emergency services after making the grim discovery. Police officer Luke Heffer told the court that Ms Blundell was found in the back room, lying across a bar with the upper part of her body inside the frame of the scissor lift mechanism.
Sequence of Events Leading to the Tragedy
Norfolk area coroner Yvonne Blake recorded the medical cause of death as contusion and compression of the chest by an external object. The inquest heard that Dawn Salisbury, who had arranged to see a deceased relative, became concerned when there were no staff available for her 11am appointment.
After waiting approximately ten minutes, Ms Salisbury attempted to call the branch landline. When she could not hear a phone ringing within the building, she contacted the celebrant she had been dealing with, who subsequently passed a message to another branch.
Mr Kemp then asked security to remotely check CCTV cameras at the Swaffham branch. The footage showed two women waiting in the reception area for their appointment and Mrs Blundell's car in the car park, but no sign of the funeral administrator herself. Notably, there are no CCTV cameras in sensitive areas of the funeral parlour where bodies are kept.
Equipment Failure and Safety Concerns
Paul Bradbury, senior food and safety officer at Breckland Council, which investigated the incident, stated that Mrs Blundell was found trapped in the mechanism of the mortuary hydraulic pump lift. His report indicated she had been due to facilitate a viewing of a deceased person that morning.
The 200kg hydraulic scissor lift mortuary trolley, manufactured in 2008, was sent for examination by the Health and Safety Executive. The examination identified several critical issues:
- The return spring on the control handle was not fully operating and did not close the operating valve without manual assistance
- The design of the handle means in some positions it can be knocked against a solid object and advanced
- The time taken for the mechanism to descend was deemed relevant to the incident
Mr Bradbury explained that the trolley had likely been raised to a height of no greater than 1.5 metres, as the deceased person had been placed in the middle of three refrigerated drawers. Records show the trolley was last checked in October 2023, with no defects identified at that time.
Lone Working and Training Considerations
Mrs Blundell's daughter, Lucy Blundell, revealed in a statement that her mother had raised concerns about lone working prior to the incident. She described her mother as a respected colleague with a wide network of friends.
The coroner noted that Mrs Blundell was last seen on CCTV in the branch at 9.46am on December 1, walking away after taking a call on her work mobile phone. An hourly lone worker alarm, scheduled for 10am, was manually closed at the remote alarm receiving centre.
Records indicate Mrs Blundell was up to date for various training courses, including health and safety training. The council investigation examined multiple factors including the condition and maintenance of the trolley, arrangements for lone working, and staff training protocols.
Potential Mechanisms of the Accident
The inquest heard detailed descriptions of how the trolley could descend unexpectedly. One scenario suggested that the release valve lever could be released with the operator expecting the spring to stop descent, when it might only have reduced the descent speed.
Another possible scenario described how the lever could have been left in the notch position, with jolting or moving the trolley potentially causing its release and subsequent descent. The inquest, being heard with a jury, continues to examine the circumstances surrounding this workplace tragedy.
