The Health and Saftey Executive closed a Willmott Dixon school site at Worthington, West Sussex, where two construction workers were killed and another seriously injured in a crane accident on 11 February. No children were hurt and the school was not evacuated.

The men died when a crane collapsed onto another crane and fell. The two victims were subcontractors working for Willmott Dixon. It is understood the accident occurred as the cranes were being dismantled. As one of the cranes fell, it crashed into the other, which remained standing. The second crane was brought down in a controlled explosion after the HSE decided it could not be safely dismantled.

A Willmott Dixon spokesperson said the exact cause of death would not be known until after the investigation. The HSE warned that a full report might take years to complete, prompting fears of a repeat of the Canary Wharf crane collapse inquiry, which has yet to be completed five years after the accident in Docklands.

Chief executive officer Rick Willmott said:“We are deeply saddened by this terrible event, and pass on heartfelt condolences to families and friends of the men.”

Source

Construction Manager