Firm charged with man's death

9:15am Tuesday 26th August 2008

A waste company will face trial after it was charged with being responsible for the death of a former army soldier from Cricklade.

Paul McGuire, from Greatfield, Hook, died from severe multiple injuries while working at SITA's Freeths Waste Disposal recycling centre on August 16, 2005.

At an inquest into his death last year the court heard that the 33-year-old had fallen into an industrial cardboard baling machine.

Wiltshire Coroner David Masters ruled that he died by misadventure after colleagues told how they saw Mr McGuire trying to clear a blockage at the top of the machine by kicking at it with his feet.

They saw him standing at the top of a conveyor belt minutes before he fell into the bailer.

The jury of five men and three women heard during the three-day inquest at Swindon's Civic Offices that Mr McGuire had worked at the recycling depot for less than three months when he lost his life.

Speaking after the inquest in April last year his widow Sophie McGuire said she was relieved after its conclusion.

"No words really can describe the way I feel about the verdict," she said.

"Paul played a big part in many people's lives and it's left a huge gap, which we will never be able to fill.

"I can only hope that with time, his parents will heal and be able to cope with not having him around. I will never get over it."

During the inquest the court heard that since the accident major health and safety improvements had been made to the baling machines.

The changes were made in response to 12-hour working days and claims from staff that they had not been trained in health and safety.

On August 8, representatives from SITA pleaded not guilty to charges under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

This legislation states an employee's life has been put at risk.

The prosecution is being brought by the Health and Safety Executive.

A pre-trial hearing will take place at Swindon Crown Court on September 11.

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