A company has been prosecuted after a worker was killed during a lifting operation on a building site in Colchester.

Urban Summit Construction Ltd of 15 California, Little Downham, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 2UF, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8 (1)(c) of The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. The firm was fined £15,000 with over £29,000 in costs.

Colchester Magistrates Court heard how the company was the Principal Contractor on a student accommodation project at King Edward Quay in Haven Road on 08 January 2014. A total of 780 student apartments were being developed.

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David Holloway, 35, was the Banksman on the site during a lifting operation using the sites tower crane. However, during the exercise a load become detached from the chains and landed on Mr Holloway. He sustained extensive injuries and died on site.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Urban Summit Construction failed to ensure that lifting operation was carried out in a safe manner.

HSE Inspector David King said: "It is essential that lifting operations are carried out in a safe manner, to help ensure the lift is carried out without risk to those in the area. Lifting operations must be properly planed by a competent person, carried out by adequately trained persons, and with appropriate supervision."

"Guidance on carrying out lifting operations safely is freely available on HSE's website, if this company had properly planned and supervised this work, this tragic incident could have been avoided."

(LM/MH)