Funeral Worker Crushed to Death by Scissor Lift in Norfolk Parlour Horror
An inquest has heard the harrowing details of how a funeral worker was discovered crushed to death by equipment used to move bodies from a fridge at a Co-op funeral home in Norfolk. The tragic incident occurred at the East of England Co-op Funeral Services branch in Swaffham, where 58-year-old funeral administrator Sally Blundell was working alone on December 1, 2023.
Colleague's Grim Discovery After Missed Appointment
The grandmother was found 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 nearby Dereham branch, rang emergency services upon making the grim discovery.
Police officer Luke Heffer described the scene, stating he went through the chapel of rest to a back room containing a large fridge and a "scissor lift" used to lift caskets in and out of refrigeration. Mrs Blundell was "found trapped in the scissor lift," lying across a bar with the upper part of her body inside the frame.
Mechanical Failure and Lone Working Concerns
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 Mrs Blundell had previously raised concerns about lone working, according to her daughter Lucy Blundell, who described her mother as "respected by her colleagues" and having a "wide network of friends."
HSE specialist inspector Jonathan Wright examined the trolley and identified problems with the release lever mechanism that could have contributed to the incident. He described scenarios where the trolley "could descend unexpectedly," including situations where the release valve lever might be left in a notch position, with jolting or movement causing sudden descent.
Timeline of the Tragic Day
The coroner revealed 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. Concerns began when Dawn Salisbury, who had arranged to see a deceased relative, found no staff present for her 11am appointment.
After waiting approximately 10 minutes, Ms Salisbury rang the branch landline and, hearing no phone ringing within the building, contacted a celebrant she had been dealing with. A message was subsequently passed to another branch, prompting Mr Kemp to ask security to remotely check CCTV cameras at the Swaffham location.
The cameras showed two women waiting in the reception area 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, the inquest heard.
Emergency Response and Ongoing Investigation
Mr Kemp went to the Swaffham branch and discovered Mrs Blundell dead, later stating in a statement that a "hydraulic hoist had come down on her body and was crushing her over the chest area." He said it was "apparent to me she was already dead" when he found her just after midday.
The inquest, being heard with a jury at Norfolk Coroner's Court, continues as investigators examine the full circumstances surrounding this workplace tragedy that has left the local community in mourning.
