Worker crushed by laundry press

A hospital laundry manager was crushed to death when he became trapped in an industrial press, a court has heard.

Bayunga Meya had apparently shut the machine down to correct a fault when a colleague at King George Hospital, who was unaware he was there, restarted it.

Southwark Crown Court was told Mr Meya, 47, of Ilford, east London, died at the Goodmayes hospital's A&E ward in 2005.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital NHS Trust denies breaching health and safety regulations.

The court heard that, on 1 December 2005, Mr Meya was struck by a heavy metal basket seconds after the press was restarted.

Despite being pulled clear by fellow workers and carried to the emergency department, the father-of-three died from chest injuries later that day.

Risk 'known'

Prosecuting, Richard Matthews said the trust had "failed to do everything that was reasonably practical to control or reduce the risk" faced by workers using the press.

The trust inherited the machine when it was formed seven years ago, the court heard.

It was used for a "very extensive" operation, cleaning 200,000 sheets, pillow cases, towels and gowns from 16 hospitals each week.

The machine's "trapped key" accident prevention system failed to stop it being restarted after someone entered its access enclosure, Mr Matthews said.

"The evidence is that the risk was a very real risk and a well-known one, namely the risk of being crushed or otherwise injured by moving parts of the machinery," he added.

The trial continues.

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