Rafal Przestrzelski died while working on the demolition of a development in Paddington, London. He was told to remove some steel props which were supporting slabs of concrete. However, when the props were taken away the slabs fell to the ground and a prop hit Przestrzelski causing fatal internal injuries.

John F Hunt Demolition Ltd and Bayoak Demo Ltd both pleaded guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and were fined a total of £115,000. A joint investigation carried out by the Metropolitan Police and the Health and Safety Executive revealed that a full structural survey of the section of the building that Przestrzelski had been working in had not taken place and that the collapse was inevitable.

Health and Safety Executive Inspector Giles Meredith said: “There are lessons to be learned both about the importance of carrying out detailed surveys and also about making sure that the right people are consulted at the right time. The price of making an ill-informed decision about the structure was enormous.”

http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3158192

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