Kevin Campbell, 46 from Poplar, in east London was killed on 2nd March on a Docklands Light Railway project in Stratford. Kevin was struck by a piece of machinery that was attached to an excavator. The fatality came in the same month as a worker was killed on the £15bn Cross rail project, also a worker on Balfour Beatty’s Providence tower site in London’s docklands was seriously injured after a crane collapsed.
The vigil was called by the Construction Safety Campaign (CSC) and supported by the NSSN. Tony O’Brien, from the CSC committee made a short speech before laying flowers to commemorate Kevin’s tragic death.
In his speech Tony mentioned the numerous construction deaths within walking distance of the vigil such as the crane collapse in Canary Wharf that left three workers dead. Tony reminded the vigil that London’s financial district the Square Mile had been grimly renamed ‘Murder Mile’ for the number of preventable deaths that occurred on sites due to lax health and safety.
Kevin linked the recent deaths with David Cameron’s pledge to “kill off health and safety culture for good” in particular the abolition of the Crane Registration Regulations and the Head Protection Regulations.
Construction firms should be under no illusions that the death of workers will be allowed to pass unnoticed by the trade union movement. As always the key to a proper health and safety regime on site are strong, organised trade unions.
The NSSN sends it’s deepest condolences to the family of Kevin Campbell and his workmates.
Please attend the Workers Memorial Event being held at the Building Worker statue at Tower Hill by Tower Bridge Road at 10:30 AM on 28th April.
