A WIDOW from North Yorkshire whose HGV driver husband was killed seven months into their marriage has spoken of her anguish.

Michelle Ismay, from Sowerby, had three children with Robert Ismay, who died on December 6, 2012, at the age of 42, after being struck by falling metal tubes being unloaded from his lorry by a forklift truck driver. Mr Ismay, who worked for Thirsk-based firm Tomrods, was helping to unload 7.5 metre-long steel tubes at Daver Steels on Petre Street, Pitsmor, when an unsupervised forklift truck driver who was helping with the delivery caused the tubes to fall on top of him.

He was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple injuries. Mrs Ismay said: “Robert’s death has devastated the entire family and we are still struggling to come to terms with what happened.

“It was very difficult to hear evidence at the inquest which suggested there were shortcomings which may have contributed to his death.”

“Nothing can turn back the clock and bring my husband back, but I hope that by speaking out about the huge gap his death has left in all of our lives, it reminds companies about the importance of keeping workers safe and protecting them from potential hazards.”

Last month, the jury in a 10-day inquest at Sheffield Coroner’s Court found a series of failings by Daver Steels in Sheffield - the company he was delivering the steel to - led to his death.

The jury found there was no planning of the deliver, no consideration to whether it was safe to unload the vehicle using a forklift. They also found the forklift driver did not know the weight and size of what he was lifting and the forks were too short to lift the delivery.