Beam Left In Bad Position

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29890, 2 August 1962, Page 15

Beam Left In Bad Position

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 1.

A verdict that Teariki Daniel Snow, a watersider, of Woburn, died as a result of injuries suffered when a steel beam accidentally unhitched and fell on him, was returned by the Coroner (Mr P. M. Keesing) at an inquest today.

The deceased had been woriuog in the hold of the m.v. Storm when death occurred on the late afternoon of July 3. "It was clearly dangerous to leave the beam apart from the others and H should either have been joined to the other beams or tied down. There is a lesson to be learnt here," said Mr Keesing. Mr C. H. Arndt appeared for the deceased’s dependants. and Mr W. D. Dent acted for the owners of the ship, the Canterbury Steam Shipping Company. David Roache, a watersider. said he and Snow were on each side of a wooden cargo scoop that was lowering a cargo of nuts and bolts into the hold. When the steel beam fell the scoop was either being lowered into the hold or had come to rest. He

saw the beam strike Snow on the head and the force of the blow knocked him 7fl towards the centre of the hatch. John David Reid, a pa'hologist. gave evidence that he conducted a post-mortem on the deceased and found that death resulted from head injuries consistent with a fractured skull. Norman Neil McKay, chief officer of the Storm, sa.d h? was not aware of any defect in the ship’s »ear before Snow’s death and no subsequent defect had been apparent, except that he now knew that the beams could come off the coaming guide. Harry Brian Guppy, a nautical surveyor, gave evidence that it was apparent the action of attempting to get the cargo scoop into the port side position caused considerable pressure to be apphed to the port end of No. 1 beam. The pressure freed the beam in the coaming and slewed it sufficiently to trip it out of the coaming guide and allowed the beam to fall into the hold. The witness considered there was little doubt that the cause of the accident was that No. 1 beam had been left in an unsafe condition and position while working cargo.