Family of Scarborough man found dead under lift while working at Oldham hospital hope for answers at inquest

The inquest into the death of a man who died at Royal Oldham hospital whilst working on a lift in February 2021 has begun this week.

Sandy Noble, a labourer, from Scarborough was undertaking repairs at Royal Oldham Hospital when he was found fatally injured.

The family of the 33-year-old dad-of-one are hoping an upcoming inquest will provide them with “vital” answers regarding his death.
 

Read more: Lift engineer dies in "tragic accident" at Royal Oldham HospitalPublished: 23 February 2021

Following Sandy’s death, his loved ones including partner Carley Holden, and his mum Carol Biggins instructed workplace accident lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help establish answers and support them through an inquest process. The legal team is also working to help secure the future of Sandy and Carley’s 11-year-old son.

Claire Newstead, the specialist workplace accident lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Sandy’s family, said: “Sandy’s death continues to have a profound effect on his loved ones who understandably remain devastated.

“Their grief is made all the worse as they still have a number of questions and concerns over the events leading up to Sandy’s death.

“While nothing will ever make up for their loss, we’re determined to support Sandy’s family and help them obtain the vital answers they deserve. The inquest is a major milestone in being able to do so.

“If, during the course of the inquest, any issues are identified, it’s vital that lessons are learned to improve health and safety.”

Prior to his death, Sandy had been working as a labourer for two years.

At the time of his death, Sandy was employed by a company called DB Lifts and the incident is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.

Carley said: “Sandy was the best dad to our son, who adored him. He was loved by everyone and his death has left a huge hole in our family.

“To this day, I still struggle to accept I’ll never see or speak to Sandy again. Our lives haven’t been the same since we lost him. It’s horrible to think that our son now has to grow up without his dad.

“While I know nothing will ever bring Sandy back, I hope the inquest, however difficult it may be, will provide us with answers so we can honour Sandy’s memory.”

An inquest into Sandy’s death started at at Rochdale Coroner’s Court on 8 January and is due to last for five days.