Site manager jailed after lawyer crushed by window frames

A site manager has been jailed for safety failures which resulted in the death of a passing lawyer who was killed by falling window frames.

Amanda Telfer, 43, died after being hit by three huge falling frames as she was walking past a construction site in London’s Hanover Square, London, on 30 August 2012.

The frames had been delivered to the site and left leaning, unsecured against a wall.

Kelvin Adsett, 64, was responsible for placement of the frames and the failure to secure them.

He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court after being found guilty of manslaughter following an earlier trial.

IS Europe Ltd, the company which employed Adsett, was found guilty of health and safety charges.

It would have been fined £100,000 but it had only £250 left in its bank account after falling dormant.

Damian Lakin-Hall, 50, was the site manager employed by Westgreen Construction.

He was sentenced to a six month prison sentence suspended for two years after he was found guilty of failing to take reasonable care for health and safety.

Graham Partridge, London CPS reviewing lawyer, said: “If Kelvin Adsett, Damian Lakin-Hall and IS Europe had complied with their legal responsibilities, Amanda Telfer would not have died.

“They were delivering and storing large, very heavy window frames and should have known that, unsecured, they presented a serious danger to the public on what was a windy day.

“The CPS case was that the defendants’ conduct was so bad that those involved bore criminal responsibility for Ms Telfer’s tragic death.

“We hope that these convictions will bring some sense of justice for her family.”

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2017/05/05/site-manager-jailed-after-lawyer-crushed-by-window-frames/

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