Swaffham Funeral Home Worker Crushed to Death by Scissor Lift, Inquest Hears
A funeral director was tragically crushed to death by machinery used to move bodies from cold storage, an inquest has heard. Funeral administrator Sally Blundell, 58, was working alone at the East of England Co-op Funeral Services branch in Swaffham, Norfolk on December 1, 2023 when the fatal incident occurred.
Discovery of the Tragedy
The grandmother was found by a colleague from another branch, who had arrived after a family with a scheduled appointment at the funeral home raised the alarm due to no staff being present. Stephen Kemp, who works at the Dereham branch, called the emergency services upon making the grim discovery.
Police constable Luke Heffer stated that he made his way through the chapel of rest to a back room within the funeral home. He described a large refrigeration unit in the room and a "scissor lift" that was "used to lift caskets in and out of the fridge".
Details of the Incident
He reported that Mrs Blundell was "found trapped in the scissor lift", positioned across a bar with the upper part of her body inside the framework. Norfolk area coroner Yvonne Blake confirmed that Mrs Blundell's medical cause of death was recorded as "contusion and compression of the chest by an external object".
Dawn Salisbury, who had arranged to visit a deceased relative, became concerned when there were no staff members at the funeral home for her 11am appointment. In a statement read to the Norwich inquest, she explained that "after about 10 minutes I decided to ring the landline number for that branch".
Response and Investigation
When she couldn't hear a phone ringing inside the branch, she tried to contact the celebrant she had been liaising with and a message was passed to another branch. Mr Kemp, a funeral manager at the Dereham branch of East of England Co-op Funeral Services, revealed that he asked security to remotely access CCTV cameras at the Swaffham branch.
He stated they could see two women sitting in the reception area, who had attended the 11am appointment, and Mrs Blundell's car in the car park, but there was no sign of her. The inquest heard that there are no CCTV cameras in sensitive areas of the funeral home where bodies are kept.
Family Concerns and Aftermath
Mr Kemp visited the Swaffham branch and discovered Mrs Blundell deceased. In a statement, he disclosed that a "hydraulic hoist had come down on her body and was crushing her over the chest area". He said it was "apparent to me she was already dead".
Mrs Blundell's daughter, Lucy Blundell, stated: "I understand she had raised concerns about lone working." She said that her mother, from Great Cressingham, was "respected by her colleagues" and had a "wide network of friends".
The coroner noted Mrs Blundell was last captured on CCTV in the branch at 9.46am on December 1, walking away after taking a call on her work mobile phone. Mr Kemp was seen arriving at the branch just after midday, where he found Mrs Blundell. The inquest, which is being carried out with a jury, continues.
