Second death from falling bricks in two days

HSE logo health and safety 70 by 70 pixels for newsletter ad 30 March 2006


By Neil Gerrard

A 20-year-old man has been killed on a construction site on Plymouth, just one day after a similar accident took the life of an 18-year-old in Scotland.

In the latest incident, a worker on a Kier Western site at Cattedown Enterprise Centre was hit on the head by a skip or pallet of bricks, according to the Plymouth Herald.

It is believed that the man was walking under a telehandler carrying the bricks when the accident happened.

A Kier Western said: "We confirm that a fatality occurred early this morning at our Cattedown Enterprise site in Plymouth when an employee was struck during an operation involving a telescopic handler.

"We are co-operating with the authorities in trying to establish exactly what happened. We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic situation involving a Kier employee and our thoughts are with his family and the site team."

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The accident follows the death yesterday of an 18-year-old who was also hit by bricks, which this time fell from a lorry-mounted crane while he was underneath it.

Gareth Ritson from died at around 9am yesterday in Troon, Ayrshire.

Police said the bricks were being lifted by a lorry when they fell.

Ritson, who lived in Rowan Place, Troon, was working for a local building firm.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is understood to be investigating both accidents.



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