Two dead in falls from London building sites

Two men have died after falling from building sites at Westminster and Wandsworth in London.

A scaffolder in his 20s died in hospital yesterday afternoon after falling from a building in Horse Guards Avenue, Westminster at 11.25am.

He was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died as a result of his injuries.

A 28-year-old man, believed to be a builder, also died after falling from a building on Shuttleworth Road, Wandsworth at around 12.30pm yesterday.

He died at the scene.

Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are investigating the accidents but have not released the names of the men.

The deaths come only days before International Workers’ Memorial Day on Monday.

Federation of Master Builders director of external affairs Brian Berry said the government needed to provide the HSE with more resources to stop workplace deaths.

He said:  “Sadly, too many workers are being killed on construction sites. All those involved in the construction sector need to ensure that health and safety is given the highest priority but the Government also has a responsibility to ensure that its Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the necessary resources to disseminate its health and safety advice free of charge to all those that request it, and to ensure it can carry out inspections.

He called on the government to reinstate funding for the Worker Safety Advisor Scheme that once took health and safety advice to construction sites.