Third Death At Sonae Site Prompts Investigation

9 August 2011

An investigation has been launched to establish how a demolition worker died at Sonae Industria's site in Knowsley on Saturday (August 6) - the third fatality at the premises in the past year

James Dennis Kay was from the Heywood area of Greater Manchester

James Dennis Kay, 62, from the Heywood area of Greater Manchester, was working for Sonae's demolition contractor, Andrew Connolly Demolition, when he suffered serious fatal injuries on Saturday (August 6) and died.

Following a fire last October, Mr Kay was operating a cherry picker crane, helping to demolish a 40-foot roof of the Sonae factory that had been damaged.

There appears to be some dispute over the injuries that actually caused the death of Mr Dennis, with local newspaper reports suggesting that he brushed the controls of the cherry picker, sending it up into a steel girder, which then crushed him, while other sources claim that he appeared to have fallen.

A post mortem carried out yesterday (August 7) was inconclusive as the exact cause of death.

In a statement, the Merseyside Police said: "Officers were called to the Sonae site on Moss Lane, Knowsley Industrial Park, shortly before 11am by the fire service. On arrival they found a man with serious injuries. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene shortly afterwards."

In a statement issued yesterday (August 7), Andrew Connolly, managing director of Andrew Connolly Demolition, said: "We are extremely saddened by this tragic incident and our deepest sympathies are with his family.

"A full investigation is now underway to establish exactly what happened in the segregated area of the plant that was under our control."

Investigation

Merseyside Police and the Health and Safety Executive have launched a joint investigation into the incident, the latest of deaths at the plant.

Two workers died at the facility in December 2010 after reportedly becoming caught up in machinery.

The company's high fatality record led a call form local MP George Howarth only two months ago calling for the plant to be "closed down for good".

Commenting following the latest incident on Saturday (August 6), Howarth said: "It's barely three weeks since I said that 'as matters stand I don't see how anyone can have any confidence in Sonae to operate safely and with stability'. It's too early to comment on the details about this tragic incident, but I sincerely hope that this will never happen again".

Sonae said that its thoughts were with Mr Kay's family and colleagues. But, the company stressed that the incident involved its demolition contractor rather than the day-to-day operation of its plant.

The Knowsley plant was closed on Sunday as a mark of respect but was due to re-open again yesterday (8 August).

Darrel Moore