First manslaughter conviction for quick hitch death

Sad, but not unexpected news comes in from the courts where Digger driver Michael Roys has been sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of a fellow worker in September 2007.

Alwyne Parkinson died from his injuries after the bucket from the excavator being driven by Michael Roys became detached and struck him. A subsequent investigation showed that the safety pin designed to keep the bucket in place had not been used, a worryingly frequent occurrence with the use of semi-automatic quick hitches. In fact this was the last in a spate of 4 deaths from such accidents in just 12 months, a statistic that has prompted the HSE to look into the standards that quick hitches are designed to and issue a safety alert to reduce the likelihood of further deaths.

In an industry that needs to be so focussed on health and safety, the simple act of not inserting the safety pin is simply not acceptable – a fact reflected in the sentence handed down. Hopefully this will be the first and last such conviction.

HSE Sector Information Minutes (SIM) on the safe use of quick hitch devices on excavators.