Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham has welcomed news from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that they are carrying out an investigation into an accident at South Bank Quay which saw a contractor having to smash their way out of an excavator that had fallen into the Tees.
The incident, which occurred on 23 November, resulted in one individual being taken to hospital. They were discharged later that day. Drone footage of the work on the site has been captured and provided to the HSE and MMO for investigation.
Alex wrote to HSE Chief Executive Sarah Albon on the day of the accident asking for a thorough investigation, which HSE have confirmed will take place to identify “any immediate and underlying causes” of the incident. Any breaches, the HSE confirm in their response to Alex, will see “appropriate action” being taken in line with the HSE’s enforcement policy.
Alex said:
“I’m pleased to see the HSE taking this matter seriously and carrying out a timely and thorough investigation into the incident on 23 November which saw a worker having to smash their way out of a submerged excavator. I hope the investigation will not only identify the issues that led to this accident, but also solutions that will ensure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
