No prosecutions following Liverpool crane collapse

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will not prosecute anyone following the death of a worker in a crane collapse at a Liverpool construction site in January 2007.

The HSE said it had concluded that there was insufficient evidence to bring proceedings against any of the parties investigated.

These included the crane manufacturer; the crane hirer; the principal contractor running the site; the sub-contractor using the crane at the time of the incident; and the crane driver.

An inquest into the death of father-of-two Zbigniew Swirzynski concluded that mechanical failure and high winds were to blame for the collapse of the 39m-high crane.

Swirzynski died on the site in Seel Street, when he was crushed by a huge concrete block counterweight that plunged to the ground.

Mike Cross, HSE Head of Operations for construction in the North West said:

"This decision was reached after a lengthy and exhaustive investigation into the causes of the collapse which involved interviews with numerous witnesses and the extensive involvement of HSE and HSL specialists.

"No effort was spared in determining the cause of this tragic incident, which involved visits to the crane manufacturers in Spain and full engagement with the tower crane community in Great Britain."