A safety conscious window cleaner and former scaffolder suffered fatal head injuries after falling from his ladder, an inquest heard.
Roland Jungbauer, 43, was a former scaffolder turned self-employed window cleaner with a conscientious attitude to safety at work, Wakefield Coroner’s Court was told.
There were no witnesses to the fall, which happened as Mr Jungbauer, of Ossett, was working at a house in Grey Court at Outwood, Wakefield, last March 9.
Householder Katie Mellor was out when Mr Jungbauer was cleaning her first floor windows.
Coroner’s officer Colin Mantell said when she returned home, just before 3pm, Mr Jungbauer told her: “Let me in I’m freezing.”
Mr Mantell added: “She opened the door and he collapsed in the doorway.”
Mr Jungbauer was taken to Pinderfields Hospital at Wakefield and later transferred to the intensive care unit at Leeds General Infirmary.
He did not regain consciousness and died from a severe, traumatic brain injury at LGI seven days later.
In a statement read to the court, Mr Jungbauer’s sister Sally said her brother was a “conscientious worker – always aware of his own safety.”
She added: “He used to be a scaffolder and was used to working at heights. He did not take risks and to the best of my knowledge he had never fallen from his ladder before.”
Miss Jungbauer’s life-long friend and fellow window cleaner Paul Wilkes said in a statement how he noticed after the accident that Mr
Jungbauer’s ladders were broken on the third rung up, adding: “I know he only bought the ladders last year. He always kept his equipment in good working order.”
Recording a verdict of accidental death, deputy coroner Melanie Wiliamson, said: “Tragically, for some reason Mr Jungbauer did fall from his ladders. We do know the third rung up was broken, how that happened we do not know.”
He did not regain consciousness and died from a severe, traumatic brain injury at LGI seven days later.
In a statement read to the court, Mr Jungbauer’s sister Sally said her brother was a “conscientious worker – always aware of his own safety.”
She added: “He used to be a scaffolder and was used to working at heights. He did not take risks and to the best of my knowledge he had never fallen from his ladder before.”
Miss Jungbauer’s life-long friend and fellow window cleaner Paul Wilkes said in a statement how he noticed after the accident that Mr
Jungbauer’s ladders were broken on the third rung up, adding: “I know he only bought the ladders last year. He always kept his equipment in good working order.”
Recording a verdict of accidental death, deputy coroner Melanie Wiliamson, said: “Tragically, for some reason Mr Jungbauer did fall from his ladders. We do know the third rung up was broken, how that happened we do not know.”
