The family of a man who died when concrete smashed through his windscreen have called for "clearer guidelines" on tipper trucks carrying heavy loads.
Steven Oscroft, 60, died on July 7 last year when a large rock fell from a lorry and smashed through his windscreen, killing him instantly.
His wife Denise, also 60, and their two grandchildren were in the car at the time, in what the family have described as a "horrific" sight to come to terms with.
An inquest into the Shirebrook man's death concluded last week that the "doting grandfather" died when the concrete fell from a truck of company Paul Wainwright Construction Services, of Hucknall.
The inquest heard that the lorry had been travelling between Welbeck Colliery and a recycling centre, transporting heavy loads of concrete.
In his report, Assistant Coroner for Nottinghamshire Mr Gordon Clow heard evidence from both the driver of the lorry and the owner of the Hucknall company.
Questions were posed over measures put in place by the driver and 'Wainwrights' to ensure the load was safe prior to leaving its base.
The company used mesh netting over its load, but had 'mounded' its contents - meaning the load was higher than the sides of the lorry, although not touching the sides.
The company stressed that this was "standard" practice for lorries of its kind.
While it was heard the lorry had been covered with netting, due to the mounding, part of the load was uncovered at the sides.
This, the inquest concluded, meant the load was not fully secure, allowing for the possibility that the large, 20cm piece of concrete fell from the lorry as it navigated a right hand turn.
Questions were raised in Mr Clow's closing remarks over the guidelines for lorry drivers when transporting heavy loads, with the coroner commissioning a Preventing Future Deaths report.
He has called on Wainwrights to clarify what changes have been made since the fatal incident in July last year, as well as more regulation from governing bodies.
Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live following the inquest, his family believe the incident, on Netherfield Road near Ollerton, could have been avoided if more guidelines were in place.
Becky Marsh, 35, Mr Oscroft's daughter, was called straight to the scene following the incident and says information on the issue "is not clear".
"It's got to be clearer, the guidelines are very vague for what securing methods should be used on tipper trucks," she told Nottinghamshire Live.
"There's really not any clear guidance on it at all, it just says loads should be below the sides and covered with a net.
"But tipper trucks carry so many different types of loads, they carry concrete, sand and general waste, and they're all using the same pull-over mesh netting.
"They're piled really high in the middle, which pulls the netting even higher and then the load is not secure."
The inquest report into Mr Oscroft's death found that the netting being used by the Wainwrights lorry on the day of the incident would not have protected concrete from falling off the vehicle.
The coroner heard evidence from the company which makes the netting, with a boss telling the inquest the mesh netting only protects loads which are not 'mounded'.
The company's evidence has led the family believe more clarity is needed from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which confirmed last week it would be reviewing guidelines later this year.
"We'd like the DVSA to put in place in quite clear writing, that the load needs to be below the fill sign and covered with appropriate sheeting fit for the load," Mrs Marsh adds.
"In the inquest we heard that the netting fitted on Wainwrights' trucks, all other tipper style trucks, are to stop blow off and not to hold anything in.
"We'd also like to see it easier for these incidents to be reported too, if more people are reporting it, the more we know about it.
"The guidance needs to be clearer for the company and the drivers."
After the incident took place and the family came to terms with what happened, they began sending information and pictures off to the DVSA with evidence of lorries incorrectly securing their loads.
In his report, Mr Clow called on the company to outline what changes it has made following Mr Oscroft's death.
This includes providing evidence that actions are being taken, such as improved driver training and working practices.
Nottinghamshire Live has approached the company on numerous occasions for a comment. However, nobody was available to talk at its Wigwam Lane base, and its phone lines appear to be disconnected. In a plea to the company and the DVSA, Mr Oscroft's wife Denise said: "The company needs to make sure its loads are safe, and look at what's happened to my husband.
"They need to do something now to prevent this happening to another family. What it has done to us has devastated us."
Mrs Marsh added: "That goes for every company that drives around with these loads, you will have blood on your hands.
"It's in the driver's hands if his load is not secure, so they need to make sure they're safe. "We want to make a change, we can't get dad back but we want to stop it happening to somebody else. "Even the police have said it's such a grey area, it's as clear as mud."
In a statement issued to Nottinghamshire Live last week, the DVSA said it would "fully support" the coroner's Preventing Future Deaths report. When discussing current regulations on the issue, the organisation referred to legislation stating that loads should be "so secured" - if necessary by physical constraint - as to not pose "danger nor nuisance" to other people or drivers.
The organisation also referred Nottinghamshire Live to guidance on its website, which it plans to review alongside the Health and Safety Executive at a later point in 2021. The organisation has been approached with further information addressing Mr Oscroft's calls.
Article and Images Source: https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/family-man-who-died-concrete-5405558
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