A CORONER has permanently suspended an inquest into the death of a roofer who died after falling from a forklift truck.

Mark Young, of Brook House, Tarporley, tragically fell to his death at Moss Hall Farm, near Tarporley, where he was contracted to carry out maintenance work, on February 1.

A criminal investigation was launched into the 64-year-old's death, which saw the roofer fall from a crate suspended 3.5 metres in the air.

And owner of the farm Denis Thornhill and his company D.S. Thornhill (Rushton) Limited were fined a combined sum of £16,000 following a six-week trial at Chester Crown Court which found them guilty of breaching health and safety legislation.

In an article featured on the Safety and Health Practitioner website, it was stated: “During the trial, the court was told that on January 29, 2021, Mr Young, who worked as a roofer, had been asked to make repairs to a roof panel and fix a blocked gutter on the same building.

“However, as he was walking across the roof, he damaged a second roof panel, so a replacement was purchased to carry out an additional repair.

“He returned with his son three days later to complete the work and asked to be raised up to do it.

“Denis Thornhill arrived with a forklift truck that had a potato box balanced on its forks.

“Mr Young was lifted up inside the potato box to a height of around 16 feet, while his son, who was on the roof, attempted to reposition the panel from above.

“As Mr Young moved to one side of the potato box, it caused it to overbalance, and he fell to the floor and sustained serious head injuries.”

Despite paramedics attending the scene, the man was unable to be resuscitated and was sadly pronounced dead.

Further details of the court case within the article stated: “A joint investigation by Cheshire Constabulary and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that on the day of the accident there was no safe system of work implemented for working at height and unsuitable work equipment was used.

“The potato box did not have the required safety features for a non-integrated work platform and had not been secured in a way to prevent it overbalancing.

“Additionally, the forklift truck had not been subjected to a thorough examination at the required frequency and was unsuitable for lifting people and Denis Thornhill was not formally trained in operating the forklift truck.

“Enforcement action was taken, and a Prohibition Notice was served on the company prohibiting further work until a safe system was devised.”

HSE inspector Ian Betley commented on the 'tragic incident' highlighting that it could have 'so easily been avoided'.

“The forklift truck and potato box were the wrong pieces of equipment for the job and never a suitable platform for working at height,” he said.

“The work should instead have been carried out using a tower scaffold, scissor lift, or a cherry picker.

“In bringing the forklift truck and potato box and using it to lift Mark at height, the company was in control of the work but had failed to implement proper planning and safe execution of it.

“All companies have a legal duty to ensure the safety of workers they employ or who carry out work for them. If that had happened in this case, then Mark’s life wouldn’t have been lost.”

Following Mr Young’s death, a file was prepared for the coroner on February 17.

An inquest was opened at that same court on November 10 but was suspended 'due to it being a death at work case'.

In a hearing at Cheshire Coroners Court on Wednesday (November 20) it was requested that the inquest into Mr Young's death be permanently suspended.

Senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish granted that request. She said: “Due to the health and safety decision I am satisfied the inquest be permanently suspended.”