Funeral Administrator's Tragic Lift Accident

0:00On March 24, a 58-year-old funeral administrator named Sally Blundell died after getting trapped under hydraulic scissor lift at the east of England co-op funeral services in Swapham, Norfolk, on December 1, 2023. The lift is used to move bodies from storage fridges in the back room. She was found with her upper body inside the frame and her legs underneath, suffering chest compression from the equipment. Here this week, an inquest in Norwich brought the actual lift into the courtroom for a demonstration. An engineer explained that a key spring in the hydraulic system meant to hold the table in place, had worn out over time, and failed to close properly. This could allow the table to lower unexpectedly if the handle was released. Colleagues discovered her after a visitor raised concerns about no staff being present for an appointment. A co-worker from the nearby Dareham branch arrived and found her wearing headphones with her glasses nearby on the floor. Her daughter described her as respected by everyone and well-loved in the community.

1:04Experts agree she must have positioned herself under the lift, possibly reaching for something despite warning labels and training. The spring likely to form from being overstretched in past uses, leading to the tragic collapse at an unknown height. The jury inquest continues as officials pieced together exactly why this happened in such an unusual spot, shedding light on potential safety risks in.