One person has died and three people have been injured in an incident at a concrete company in Devon that has prompted a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation.
Devon and Cornwall Police were called by the ambulance service to reports of an industrial incident at West Country Concrete Products in the village of Shebbear, Beaworthy, at around 3.25pm on 23 August.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene.
Three people were reported to have sustained injuries. One was airlifted to hospital with what was described as serious injuries, while two others were treated in hospital before being discharged.
Speaking to Devon Live, a local claimed: "The accident involved one of the big flat-bed lorries and whatever it was transporting."
A spokesperson for the Devon Air Ambulance service confirmed that it had sent two ambulances to the scene. "Both of our air ambulances attended from our Exeter airbase and North Devon Eaglescott airbase," they said. "One patient was conveyed to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. However, the second patient sadly passed away at the scene."
West Country Concrete Products is a manufacturer and supplier of precast concrete products throughout the UK, serving the construction, civil engineering and other sectors.
It specialises in the production of culverts, gabion replacement blocks, retaining walls, bunker walls, pre-stressed wall panels and barrier blocks.
The company’s main business, however, is the supply of goods such as wall panels, cow cubicles, drinking troughs, feed troughs, slatted flooring, channels and tanks, principally for the farming sector.
The police said the matter has been referred to the health and safety inspectorate. "HSE is aware of the incident and is assisting Devon and Cornwall Police with their inquiries," a spokesperson for the body said. "Our thoughts are with those affected by this incident and their families during this sad time."
An HSE spokesperson confirmed to CN that it was assisting the police, and expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident.
West Country Concrete Products declined to comment.
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