Construction death and injury toll mounts

The fatalITY and serious injury toll in construction showed no sign of slowing last week, with one death and one serious accident. The toll continued to rise as a crane installer was killed after he was hit on the head by a 2.5t steel beam on a Berkshire construction site on Wednesday.

Colin Dickson, 37, from Scotland, was working on an incinerator plant site in Colnbrook near Slough for Kone Cranes. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating the accident, which takes this year's death count to 29.

Meanwhile, a boom lift operator was in a critical but stable condition last week after his machine toppled over into a Nottingham city centre street.

Witnesses heard a loud bang and a shout before the machine, which carried Nationwide Access's livery, fell over.

The man became trapped under the machine, but had been freed from the cherry picker by the time ambulance crews arrived.

Nationwide Access would not confirm whether the operator was one of its employees or if he was using the machine on a self-hire basis. The HSE is investigating the incident.