Concrete concerns before Crossrail death

Concrete concerns before Crossrail death

A whistleblower has revealed how giant boulders of concrete had fallen and a number of people were injured in the months before a construction worker was crushed to death in a Crossrail tunnel. A document marked “confidential”, obtained by the Camden New Journal, warns of the “hazardous and unsafe working conditions” for staff spraying concrete onto walls deep below ground. Rene Tkacik, 43, was fatally struck by a falling slab of concrete in Holborn on 7 March this year (Risks 646). At the time of his death he was spraying concrete through a hose – known as “shotcrete” – in a process introduced by Crossrail contractors last year. The whistleblower’s memo says “the warning signs were evident from the start” and lists a series of Crossrail shotcrete-related worker injuries in 2013. The memo, dated 9 April 2014, adds: “All of the above incidents and facts are known to the Health and Safety Executive and subject to further investigation. These unacceptable working practices have led not only to multiple injuries but unfortunately to one fatality. All construction workers and their families have a right to know this.” Construction unions Unite and UCATT have both raised concerns about safety practices at Crossrail. Concerns were heightened last month after it was revealed an investigation had found workers on the Crossrail job were “afraid” to report accidents or dangerous safety practices for fear of getting the sack (Risks 652).

• Camden New Journal.