Materials Handling Equipment: Industrial Accidents

(asked on 10th July 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the crane that collapsed at Swan Housing Association’s Watts Grove development site in Bow on 9 July 2020.


Answered by
Mims Davies Portrait
Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 15th July 2020

This is a live and developing investigation and the well-established work-related death protocol for England and Wales is being followed. The Metropolitan Police are therefore leading at present, supported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

HSE will keep the department informed as appropriate, and work to prevent further incident and effectively secure justice. No Prohibition Notice has been issued but that will be considered if the investigation reveals circumstances requiring it. For the present, a Notice to Leave Undisturbed is in place across the site.

Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), the Principal Contractor at the site is responsible for having the crane thoroughly examined before it can be brought into use. HSE had not inspected the crane that collapsed and there are no further cranes on this site.

The collapsed crane and damaged homes are deemed to be dangerous structures. The immediate surroundings have therefore been evacuated, while the crane is safely removed, and dangerous structures made safe.

Reticulating Splines