Jury rules death of two year old Oliver 'accidental'
A coroner has raised concerns about safety arrangements for paramedics who visit schools after a two-year-old boy was crushed to death by an ambulance at St Barnabas Playgroup in Pitshanger Lane.
Lorna Tagliavini said she would express her fears to the London Ambulance Service (LAS) after an inquest jury ruled Oliver Ladwa died accidentally.
Oliver, of West Ealing, was killed in the playground last June, West London Coroner's Court was told. A parked ambulance with children inside it rolled down a slope and crushed him.
Ms Tagliavini said she would "strongly invite" the LAS to put into practice recommendations they made in their own investigation following the accident. She said: "I have been deeply concerned by the absence of any risk assessment carried out by LAS and the lack of training that is given... in how to carry out these activities."
The inquest heard Oliver was one of about 20 children watching a demonstration by the LAS on 8 June. A number of children, and a 14-year-old boy on work experience, were inside the vehicle when it started to roll down a steep driveway.
When the ambulance started to move the quick thinking teenager, Adam Playdell, managed to hold the children safely inside and put the gear lever back in position.
Praising Adam for his actions, Ms Tagliavini said: "For a very young man he had great foresight and instinctiveness and possibly prevented further loss of life."
The jury heard paramedic John Stubbs had had no formal risk assessment training and had allowed the children to touch everything in the ambulance.
He told the court he remembered putting on the handbrake and the automatic gearbox into parking mode as he parked up that day. When the ambulance stopped he said he leaned in to check that both the parking lever and handbrake were in place, which they were. He said he did not see any of the children playing with the handbrake or the gear lever and that it was a "mystery" as to why it started moving.
After the verdict Oliver's parents, Jayne and Vino, criticised the LAS and the play school for failing to carry out a basic risk assessment. A statement read by their lawyer said: "It is perfectly clear that this was a catastrophe waiting to happen." Mr and Mrs Ladwa said their "happy, smiley, affectionate little boy" had been "needlessly lost".
Playgroup leader Suzy Hill told the court there were five staff on duty who had been given instructions of where to stand and supervise during the visit.
She said there had been no formal discussion of safety measures with the ambulance service beforehand. "The only safety measures we say is 'you're in charge of the vehicle, we're in charge of the children'," she said.
Russell Smith, of the LAS, said they were "extremely sorry" for what had happened and that procedures for educational visits had been changed. Since the death the LAS has not made any school visits but Mr Smith said the service was keen to reintroduce them and would ensure better risk assessments in future.
May 3, 2007