Shrewsbury man died after falling from hoist which had been serviced two days earlier, inquest hears
A retired firefighter from Shrewsbury died after a fall from a hoist being used at his home, an inquest heard.
Hugh Douglas Colley, 85, suffered a broken vertebrae in the fall in May last year and died in hospital a few days later.
At an inquest into Mr Colley's death that got underway at Shirehall in Shrewsbury on Monday, a jury was told that the former firefighter had multiple sclerosis and other conditions and that the Oxford Midi Hoist was used by carers to lift him in and out of his bed.
Coroner for Shropshire, Mr John Ellery said the electric hoist had been serviced two days before the fall.
He told the jury that the medical cause of Mr Colley's death was the consequences of a vertebrae column fracture.
The Oxford Midi Hoist, manufactured by Joerns Healthcarewas assembled and serviced by Cannock company Disable Aids and was put before the jury at the inquest.
Service engineer Mr Stephen Hammersley gave evidence to the jury on Monday, explaining to members in detail and demonstrating on the hoist how he serviced it.
He agreed with the coroner that when it was examined after Mr Colley's fall the hoist was found to be without a pin which would have helped keep in place a spreader bar to which the sling was attached. Instead, it was being held by two ledges.
He said he had carried out a weight test on the spreader bar and that this was the equivalent to holding 180kg.
Mr Hammersley said the test he used was one taught to him many years ago when he serviced hoists for a previous employer.
The jury heard that his test had been an angular test rather than a vertical and perpendicular test, taught by Joerns.
The coroner said it was possible that the angular test had given a false impression of support.
Director of Disable Aids, Mr Christopher Pearson, said that the company relied on the expertise of its four experienced engineers.
He said that the type of weight test used on the hoist was only used in private accommodation - maybe two or three per cent of the services the company carried out.
Since Mr Colley's death, he said, the company was looking at scrapping that particular test and instead bringing real weights into people's homes.
The inquest continues at Shirehall.
