Family's grief after preventable site death
Family's grief after preventable site death
A family mourning the loss of a construction worker in a tragedy that the workplace safety watchdog said 'could easily have been prevented' have told of their grief. Ellen Sinclair whose son Steven, 40, died in a four storey fall while replacing windows, said: 'To say my heart is broken is just words but to feel the depth of pain you have to sit by the bed of that son and see the broken body of that lovely man who, only 24 hours before, was happy and so full of life with all his friends.' Steven's brother Darren said: 'Losing my brother Steve has had a devastating affect on my life. Aside from the not sleeping, losing my job and coming to terms with not having any brothers, there's a great void in my life that will never be filled.' The family's comments came after Christopher Lucas pleaded guilty this week to safety offences and was fined £15,000 at City of London Magistrates Court. Mr Lucas runs Four Seasons, the double glazing window replacement company that employed Steven and another man to replace windows on the 3rd and 4th floor of a residential apartment block in London. The glass was very heavy and as the men lifted it into place they and the glass all fell 11m to the ground. Steven Sinclair was taken to hospital but died later that day. Following the trial, HSE inspector Lisa Chappell said: 'Mr Sinclair's family are grieving the loss of a son and brother following a fatal accident that could easily have been prevented. This case highlights once again the absolute necessity for work at height to be properly planned, and for equipment such as guard rails, barriers or harnessed to be used where appropriate.'
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