DIY enthusiast died when 'improvised' power tool sliced through his neck



A man died after fitting the wrong blade to an angle grinder causing it to kick back and slice into his neck, an inquest heard today.

Alastair Green suffered horrific injuries as he tried to use the angle grinder to remove a tree stump in the garden of his home in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

According to the manufacturer's instructions, the tool should only have been used with a grinding disk, but Mr Green, 31, had modified the tool and attached a circular saw blade.

Dangerous: Alastair Green's relatives have called for better advice in DIY shops on the use of power tools in the garden following the inquest into his death

As he attempted to cut through the stump, the contact of the blade - spinning at 100 revolutions a second - with the timber caused a 'tremendous' kick-back which forced the tool into its user.

Mr Green's partner, Joanne Green, returned home from her daughter's nursery on December 19, 2007, to find him collapsed and covered in blood.

Despite her desperate attempts at first aid, paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene a short time later. The blade had severed his throat and main arteries, the inquest in Leicester heard.

Giving evidence at the inquest, consultant forensic engineer, James Rennie, said: 'It (the angle grinder) was intended purely for grinding purposes. In fitting it with a circular saw blade, it produces a very dangerous tool.'

Professional arboriculturalists usually wear safety gear, including a hard hat and protectors for the face and neck when using power saws to chop wood.

Mr Green did not wear anything to protect himself from the dangerous equipment, the inquiry was told.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, assistant deputy coroner Martin Gotheridge said: 'He chose to use that circular saw blade instead of a chain saw, which would have been the more appropriate implement, and tragically the kick-back caused the circular saw blade to cut his neck very severely and cause him the fatal injuries.

'Obviously, the lesson to be learned from that is the danger of using a circular saw blade for a purpose for which the machine is not designed.

'Even for domestic tasks in the garden, it's worth having the protection which the professionals all have, given the risks that occur at any time with the use of a circular saw blade on timber.'

Mr Green had been using the grinder with the saw blade after encountering problems with his chain saw, the inquest was told.

Speaking after today's hearing, Ms Green's mother, Lorraine Viner, called for better advice in DIY shops on the use of power tools in the garden.

She said: 'We want more advice available in DIY stores where you can buy equipment to make sure you wear the right safety gear.

'That way, hopefully no one else will die in such a horrific manner.'