Retired Meath fireman died after lathe he bought for hobby crushed him in his shed
Michael Bourke (56) died seven days after sustaining severe crush injuries
A retired fireman was fatally injured in a shed at the back of his house when a metal lathe bought for a hobby fell on top of him, an inquest has heard.
Michael Bourke (56) of Red Bog Road, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, died at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown on October 6, 2023 – seven days after sustaining severe crush injuries to his chest from the weight of the cutting machine.
A resumed sitting of the inquest into Mr Bourke’s death at Dublin District Coroner’s Court heard the deceased had enrolled in a course in instrument making at Ballyfermot College of Further Education after he had retired as a fireman.
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The coroner, Cróna Gallagher, had previously heard that Mr Bourke had purchased the metal lathe three months earlier in order to pursue his hobby of making musical instruments. She was informed that the deceased’s fiancée, Amy Gildea, who had been working from home on September 29, 2023, was alerted to calls for help from Mr Bourke at around 2.25pm.
Ms Gildea had to seek help from a neighbour as she was unable to lift the heavy machine on her own when she discovered her fiancé in the shed. The inquest heard the neighbour had to go out on the road to flag down passers-by for further help as they still needed assistance to get Mr Bourke out from under the lathe because of the weight of the machine.
An inspector with the Health and Safety Authority, Trevor Ryan-Nesbitt, told the inquest that he had examined the scene of the accident and it appeared that it had occurred while Mr Bourke was attempting to move the lathe.Mr Ryan-Nesbitt noted that there were two hoists located outside the shed which he believed might have been used for moving the lathe.
However, the HSA inspector said it was hard to say exactly what happened as the machine was in the position where it had been moved by people who had helped to lift it off Mr Bourke. The inquest heard there was a pallet in the shed on which it seemed the lathe had been stored after it was delivered to Mr Bourke’s home.
A friend of the deceased, Mark Blackwell, was due to call at 3.30pm that afternoon to help him move the machine. Mr Ryan-Nesbitt said it was possible that the lathe, which could have weighed around 500kg, might have fallen off the pallet. The HSA inspector said he was informed that the lathe was switched on when he arrived in the shed and it had to be turned off.
The coroner remarked that it seemed unusual that Mr Bourke would have been trying to move the heavy machine by himself when he was getting a friend to call later to help him to lift it. Dr Gallagher also observed that it would be strange to have the lathe plugged in if it was in the process of being moved.
Mr Ryan-Nesbitt said he had seen no sign of metal chippings on the floor of the shed which would have indicated that Mr Bourke had been working with the lathe. However, he acknowledged that it was possible that the deceased had been working on it while it was resting on the pallet.
A relative of Mr Bourke also agreed with that scenario given the position in which the lathe and victim had been found. Mr Ryan-Nesbitt said the HSA had taken no further action in the case as Mr Bourke’s death had not occurred in a workplace as he was only using the shed for a hobby and not for any paid employment.
Sergeant Anthony Malone told the inquest that he had been informed by paramedics when he arrived at the house that the injured man had already “passed.” However, he discovered later that Mr Bourke’s breathing had been restored.
Sgt Malone remarked that it was unfortunate that the only person who really knew what happened was the deceased. The coroner said postmortem results showed Mr Bourke had died from brain damage caused by a respiratory arrest from crush injuries to his chest which had occurred from the machine falling on him.
Although there were some gaps about what actually happened, Dr Gallagher said she was satisfied from the evidence to record a verdict of accidental death. Offering her sympathy to Mr Bourke’s family and friends, the coroner remarked that it was very unfortunate that the deceased was not able “to have years and years of happy retirement enjoying his hobby.”
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