Report in the Ipswich Journal, 30^th October 1883

FATAL FALL FROM A LADDER.

An inquest was held at the East Suffolk Hospital, Ipswich, on Monday evening, before the Borough Coroner, on the body of James William Denny, carpenter, aged 37 years, who died in the Hospital on Monday morning from injuries sustained by falling from a ladder on the 23rd of July.

The Coroner said the Jury were summoned to inquire into the cause of death, and the circumstances attending the death of James Wm. Denny, who was, at the time he received the injuries, in the employ of Messrs. E. R. and F. Turner, of St. Peter’s Iron Works. It would, he believed, appear from the evidence that the deceased was in the act of putting a bolt through a beam in a building in course of construction. He was standing on a ladder at the time, and by some means he fell and sustained injuries, from which he died on Monday morning. The question for consideration was, whether there was negligence on the part of any person, or was it an accident? He (the Coroner) was directed by the Secretary of State, where death occurred from accident in a factory or workshop, to communicate the fact to the Inspector of Factories for the district. He had, accordingly, informed the Inspector at Norwich of the time fixed for the inquest, and had since heard that he did not propose attending the inquiry.

John Girling, machine carpenter, foreman at the Grey Friars' Works, said the deceased had been employed there about two months prior to the day of the accident. He was assisting in erecting a new building for a workshop. About 2.30 p.m. on the day in question, deceased was on a 15-staved ladder, screwing a bolt for a crane bearer, when by some means he lost his balance and fell, the ladder falling with him. His head would be underneath a plate, and the plate would be 12ft. 8in. from the ground. Witness assisted in picking up the deceased, and he was conveyed to the Hospital. He believed deceased was accustomed to the kind of work he was performing. It was usual to do this kind of work from a ladder.

By the Jury: The ladder was resting against a 10-inch square post. The wrench may have slipped off the bolt. Deceased might have had someone at the foot of the ladder, and it might have been some protection; but we did not think it was necessary, and evidently deceased did not. He appeared to overturn the ladder with his foot as he fell.

Thos. Pacey, carpenter, who ran to deceased's assistance when he fell, said that a scaffold was safer than a ladder, but witness had done that kind of work from a ladder; in fact, he finished the job from a ladder. Deceased told him afterwards that he did not know how the accident happened. Witness believed that deceased slipped: he was a strong man, and a person at the foot of the ladder would have been overswayed by him.

John Pollard, who was employed in the saw mill near the shop in which deceased was at work, deposed to assisting the last witness to convey deceased to the Hospital. He had done similar work from a ladder. The erection of a scaffold would take too long for a small job like that on which deceased was engaged. Not more than five minutes would be occupied in fastening the bolts.

Mary Ann Denny, the widow, said the deceased entered Messrs. Turner’s employ on the first Monday after Whitsuntide. He had met with three accidents, the first being from a heavy piece of wood falling upon him, and on the second occasion a rope with which he was pulling up some heavy “principals” broke, and he fell over backwards, another workman falling with him. Deceased subsequently complained a great deal of pain in the back, but did not give up work. Witness saw deceased in the Hospital many times; he was perfectly conscious, but could give no idea how the accident happened.

Pacey, re-called, said the deceased was standing on some timber, about five feet from the ground, when the rope broke, and he fell upon an iron box. The strain upon the rope caused it to break.

Mr. Arthur Henry Boucher, house surgeon at the Hospital, said on examining the deceased he found that he was paralysed from the waist downwards, the back being broken. The cause of death was paralysis, resulting from the injury. Any injury from the fall when the rope broke had nothing to do with the cause of death.

It appeared that another workman had witnessed the accident, but he had not been seen at the works on Monday and was not summoned.

The Coroner, in summing up the evidence, pointed out that the jury would have to say whether, considering the weight of the beam and the nature of the work, the ladder was a proper instrument from which to perform the work.

The Jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”

Whit Sunday in 1883 was on 13^th May.