Failure To Prosecute After Crane Death 'A Sad Indictment For All Concerned'

The HSE's decision not to prosecute anyone involved in the death of Mr Zbigniew Swirzynski has been met with dismay by construction union UCATT.

Mr Swirzynski, a carpenter, was killed on 15 January 2007, when a tower crane collapsed and crushed him on the site he was working on in the centre of Liverpool. The crane driver was also injured in the incident.

Following a 16-month inquiry the HSE and the Merseyside Police have decided that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone involved in the incident.


George Guy, Regional Secretary for UCATT's North West region, said: "This decision is a kick in the teeth for construction workers. How on earth can they have any confidence in health and safety provisions on sites, if the powers that be can't find anyone to prosecute in such a high profile incident?

"Tower cranes do not fall apart of their own accord. Something clearly went wrong and a worker died."

The accident in Liverpool was one of a series of recent high profile accidents - many of them fatal - involving tower cranes. UCATT supports a national register of tower cranes, many of which are over 30 years old in order to ensure that they are in good condition and are regularly maintained.

In April the select committee for Work and Pensions published a major report into workplace safety, as part of their recommendations they backed the call for a national register of tower cranes. However the Government rejected the proposal due to the difficulty of maintaining such a register due to the cranes "mobility".

(CD/JM)