Bury St Edmunds death: Harvinder Kular crushed in trench

A pipe layer was crushed to death when a trench crashed in on him "like a wave", an inquest heard.

Harvinder Kular, 39, of Luton, was working at Suffolk Business Park in Bury St Edmunds on 1 April when he got into an unsupported trench.

When it collapsed, he suffered severe skull fractures and crush injuries to the chest. He died on site.

The jury, sitting at Ipswich, heard his actions went against safe practice and returned a conclusion of misadventure.

Mr Kular, described as a "very experienced" pipe layer, was on site with CP Dynes, a Chelmsford-based a groundwork and drainage contractor, who he had worked for since 2014.

Tomasz Urniezius, who was working with Mr Kular, said his colleague stated he would lay the pipe in a trench, before a support known as a trench box was fitted.

He said he reminded Mr Kular of the need for a trench box, but added a pipe layers' decision took precedence.

Fitting a trench box would have taken five minutes, the jury heard.

Excavator driver David Childs, who was collecting a trench box, said he stopped what he was doing when he saw Mr Kular in the trench with a shovel.

"He started rotating his vehicle to tell him to get out but it was too late," Suffolk coroner Jacqueline Devonish said.

"The excavation collapsed on to Harvinder and buried him up to his neck."

With only Mr Kular's helmet visible, workers frantically tried to dig him out by hand, with Mr Childs helping with his excavator.

Emergency services arrived and he was pronounced dead at the scene at 15:28 BST.

The depth of the trench was later measured by Suffolk Police as 3m (9ft 8in) in depth and width, and 10m long (32ft).

The inquest had heard evidence there was an expectation that trench boxes would be used in any excavation above knee height, and should be fitted before pipes were laid.

Mr Childs said he could not understand why Mr Kular had gone into an unsupported trench with a shovel and described the collapse as "like a wave rolling over".

Kevin Symonds, a health and safety expert who visited the site, said a failure to use a support and entering the trench were "poor practice".

The inquest heard inductions, training, checks and assessments were carried out, and Mr Symonds was satisfied staff were aware of the need for trench boxes.

The inquest heard from Mr Kular's family that he was "loving and caring", and a tribute soon after his death described him as "willing to help anyone".

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