Safety measures on construction sites must be "tightened up'', a Coroner said yesterday.

The call came as Coroner Edward King yesterday recorded a verdict of misadventure in the death of Teddy Sewell.

He said a number of factors were involved in the November 2, 1995 death of the Sea-Land Construction worker, including the fact that Mr. Sewell "mishandled a simple lift'' and had insufficient experience.

But he also recommended that more safety measures were needed on construction sites.

"It is not sufficient to say we don't have the money, the price of a human life is priceless,'' he said. "Nothing (is) done to make sure these industrial accidents don't repeat themselves.'' Mr. Sewell, described as a man always willing to help, died when the crane he was operating toppled over, crushing him against the bonnet of a tractor trailer at Bull's Head car park. The crane operator was attempting to lift a container of construction site materials.

Mr. King's verdict came yesterday after he heard evidence for a day and a half.

Mr. Sewell did not have sufficient experience and the crane was not level, Mr.

King concluded.

Death by misadventure results from a deliberate, but lawful, human act which has unexpectedly taken a turn that leads to death.

Crane expert Robert Manalio of New Jersey, among those to make a statement yesterday, said Mr. Sewell was attempting to get the crane to lift too much weight.

Mr. Manalio, who founded investigative services company Oceanic Equipment in 1978, provided the coroner with a 12-page statement.

Mr. Manalio told the coroner that there was "no doubt that the crane was overloaded''.

The crane was certainly capable of lifting this weight but it was in a position to tip because the boom was fully extended and the crane was not level, Mr. Manalio said. Other factors included the radius Mr. Sewell was working in and the position of the crane's stabilisers.

"This lift was not taken seriously,'' he said. Radius and boom length were the major factors, he added.

With the radius -- the distance from the crane's centre pin to the load's centre -- estimated to be 28 feet at the site of the accident, and a boom length of 61 feet, the maximum safe load is 15,200 pounds, Mr. Manalio said.

It was estimated that the load, the container, its contents and cables, weighed around 22,000 pounds.

"(This) placed the crane in a tipping mode based on fully extended outriggers (stabilisers).'' Lawyer Dennis Dwyer, acting for Giszel Sewell, wife of the deceased, said after the inquest that it has not been decided if the family will launch a civil action.

Mrs. Sewell and her mother Relda Jones declined comment to The Royal Gazette .

Mrs. Sewell was among three witnesses to give evidence Friday.

In her statement, read out by coroner's officer Donald Grant, Mrs. Sewell, estranged from her husband at the time of the accident, recounted how they met in high school then met later where she worked at the former Holiday Inn. She also said they married and had three children.

Site supervisor, Peter Vosvenieks said after the inquest that many people fought heroically to save Mr. Sewell.

"Many people tried to help. Harrison Isaac (who testified on Thursday) came over from Holmes Williams & Purvey. He put his life at risk. He made sure Teddy didn't die alone,'' Mr. Vosvenieks said.

Mr. Vosvenieks and Sea-Land construction manager Andrew Cooper are being prosecuted under the Health and Safety at Work Act in connection with the death of Mr. Sewell. That matter is to be heard June 2, Mr. Dwyer said.