A college broke health and safety laws in the months leading up to the death of a beloved teacher who became gravely unwell after contracting coronavirus, an investigation has found.
Donna Coleman told her family she was scared of coming into work at Burnley College in the weeks before she tested positive for the virus on December 14, 2020. She had expressed concerns to her sister about the institution's reaction to the pandemic, but didn't say anything for fear of losing her job.
Following the 42-year-old's death on January 6, 2021, an investigation was launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a number of concerns were raised about alleged shortcomings in Covid-19 control measures in place at the college at the time.
READ MORE:Doctor admits killing patient who died after 'medical procedure' at Oldham Hospital
Laura Snelgrove, HM Inspector of Health and Safety concluded that the college broke a number of health and safety laws including a failure to meet social distancing requirements, failing to inform close contacts of those who tested positive, and a failure to monitor and enforce the wearing of face coverings.
The investigation found evidence of a Christmas party for all staff members on December 18, 2020. At the time, Lancashire was in a 'very high alert' tier, where socialising was banned within outdoor and indoor spaces and hospitality and entertainment venues were closed due to the high number of cases in the community.
An anonymous source told the HSE that those attending the party failed to socially distance, and investigators were also sent a video clip of the party which proved that strict guidelines on person-to-person contact were not being adhered to.
Ms Snelgrove also found evidence
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk
manchestereveningnews.co.uk
