a verdict of accidental death was returned by the jury at the inquest of construction worker Steven Allen.

The 23-year-old, from Highfield Road, Keighley, died after a scissor-grab piece of machinery closed on his head in March 2007.

He was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary with severe head injuries and his mother, Judith, took the difficult decision to have his life support machine switched off two days later and his heart went to save the life of a 12-year-old girl.

At the time Steven was working on a waste recycle plant in Midland Road, Bradford, for Skipton-based construction company JN Bentley and the inquest heard that the workmen on the site had not been given training in the Probst SG 80 scissor grab machine and no one at the company had read the manual.

They also noted that the grab was used outside the manufacturer’s specification.

After the verdict, Judith Allen, Steven’s mother said that Steven had been severely let down by his employers. She said: “The failings in the system have been clearly shown.

“Steven had never claimed benefits or had a day off sick in his life. He loved work so much that in his first year he never even took his paid holiday.

“He would have done anything for his employers and look what they have done for him. It is annoying what you take for granted when they are here.”

On Monday colleagues of Mr Allen gave witness accounts of the incident to assistant deputy coroner Paul Marks.

Site foreman Stephen Kelly, who was just feet away from the incident when it happened, told how Steven and his colleagues were helping move a wooden pallet rack carrying bags of cement with a Probst SG 80 Scissor Grab machine when the incident happened.

He said: “The grabber lifted the pallet and bags of cement and the cement blocks slid off on to the floor. Then Steve grabbed the pallet and the pallet dropped out and the jaws grabbed around his head.”

He added: “I thought the pallet must not have been parallel when it was lifted and that is why the bags fell.”

But the jury was also told that a safety chain on the machine was broken, which would have restricted how far the jaws closed to 15 inches.

Later specialist inspector for the Health and Safety Executive John Muitree said that Steven would not have received his injuries if the chain had been in tact. However, no one on the site had known the significance of the chain, despite knowing it was broken.

Mr Muitree added, however, that Steven would have probably sustained significant injuries from the weight of the jaws falling on his head because of his proximity to the machine even if the chain was working.

The apparatus had been replaced only days earlier by hire company Marwood Group Ltd because of worn rubber grips and a faulty safety chain.

But the safety chain on the replacement machine broke again while the apparatus was being moved. The inquest heard that a Marwood representative told a JN Bentley employee that the machine was OK to use with a broken chain as long as workmen kept a safe distance from it.

However, Richard Lumley, depot manager for Marwood’s and responsible for the machinery’s safety inspection, denied that this would have happened.

Mr Muitree said that national records showed that 35 per cent of chains in the model broke but the German manufacturer Probst had since updated the design.

On the first day of the inquest, many of Mr Allen’s colleagues described their shock at watching him approach the scissor grab to remove the pallet.

David Akrigg, operating the vehicle, said: “I just could not believe he was doing it because it is a place nobody would go.”

Solicitor Mark Turner, representing JN Bentley, asked him: “Why would nobody go there?” To which Mr Akrigg replied: “Because it is too dangerous.”

On Tuesday the hearing was told that none of JN Bentley’s employees had read a manual describing how to safely operate the machine that killed Mr Allen, who had started work for the company as a 16-year-old apprentice.

The firm’s quality environment safety co-ordinator at the time of the incident, Richard Risdon, gave evidence.

Under cross-examination Mr Risdon said that he and other JN Bentley employees had not read a manual dictating how the machine should be used safely.

Mick Antoniw, representing Steven’s mother, Judith, asked him: “How do you know the vehicle was fit to do the job if you or any of your workmen had not seen the manual?”

Mr Risdon said: “The machine had been used before.” It was also revealed that no member of staff had received specific training in relation to using the machine and no one had been specifically appointed to perform the role of slinger and banksman, used as “a second pair of eyes” when directing the movement of the apparatus.”

The Health and Safety Executive will now consider whether to make a prosecution.