12.08.2004

Inquest opens on latest fall fatality

The inquest opened yesterday on the death of 24 year old Kieran Deeney, who died on Monday after a 10 to 35 metre fall down a lift shaft on Laing O,Rourkes Discovery Dock project on the Isle of Dogs in east London.

The Inquest heard that Deeney was, according to witnesses, working on a raised platform when he attempted to jump from the platform to another location and landed on a wooden board over the lift shaft; the board collapsed and he fell to his death. Earlier reports suggested that he fell 10.5m, but the court was told yesterday that he fell nearly 35m.

George Brumwell general secretary of the union UCATT commenting on the incident said, “This is the 20th fatality on a construction site since April the first, our thoughts are with the family of this young man who fell more than 10m down a lift shaft to his death. Yet again we see that a fundamental failure to protect workers against the most common risk in our industry has robbed this worker of his life."