Morrisons worker 'might have survived given ground-floor locker'

Matthew Gunn died in a fall from a staircase at Morrisons supermarket in Tewkesbury in September 2014

A supermarket employee who had epilepsy might not have died in a fall at his workplace had his assigned locker been moved downstairs, a jury has been told.

Matthew Gunn suffered head injuries falling from a staircase at Morrisons in Tewkesbury on 25 September 2014.

The prosecution said the firm was aware of the risk to Mr Gunn from using stairs to access his locker but did nothing to minimise the danger to him.

Morrisons denies three health and safety charges and the trial continues.

Prosecutor Richard Atkins told Cirencester Courthouse that Mr Gunn died three-and-a-half months after his mother Sue had warned managers of the risk to her son due to his frequent seizures.

Mr Atkins, representing Tewkesbury Borough Council, said no-one witnessed the fall but it appeared Mr Gunn, 27, had suffered a seizure while using the stairs to access his locker where he was instructed to keep his personal belongings while working.

Mr Gunn died in hospital on 7 October 2014 without regaining consciousness.

"I make it clear that Morrisons probably did more than many other employers would have done to keep him employed - but we submit they did not do enough to ensure he was kept safe at work," Mr Atkins said.

"An employer has a duty to ensure, as far as reasonably practical, the health, safety and welfare of its employees at work.

"We say Morrisons' failures were so serious as to be criminal," he added.

Mr Gunn worked at Morrisons supermarket in Tewkesbury

The court heard Mr Gunn disliked using an "unreliable" lift that was "often out of order" and that his locker had been moved downstairs at one time, only to be moved back upstairs.

Mr Atkins said: "The simplest thing Morrisons could have done was to move his locker to the ground floor and minimise the number of times he needed to use the stairs.

"Keeping it there, or moving it back there, would have considerably reduced the risk and may have meant he would still be alive today."

Morrisons denies failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees, failing to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments and failing to review the risks and assessments of employees.