A safety pressure group has declared the new Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in east London a “disaster”, after a third safety incident in a week occurred during the venue’s high-profile opening ceremony earlier today (13 September).
The Construction Safety Campaign said there was “little to celebrate” in the news that a metal roof tile fell and smashed to the floor just metres away from where guests at the opening – including London mayor Boris Johnson – were standing.
A spokesperson for Westfield Stratford City – which, with 250 shops, 70 dining outlets, three hotels and 130,000 square feet of office space, is Europe’s largest urban shopping centre – told the BBC the incident happened in “an empty part of the mall” and that “no one was touched, as the area had already been cleared”.
However, two other incidents in the past week did result in serious injuries to two workers on the site. On 9 September, a worker on a ladder received an electric shock and fell, sustaining burns and other injuries. On 5 September, a 21-year-old electrician fell while working from a set of steps and broke his back.
The HSE in London confirmed to SHP that it is “aware” of the 5 September incident and “making preliminary enquiries”, and is “investigating” the 9 September incident.
Tony O’Brien, national secretary of the Construction Safety Campaign, said: “We see little to celebrate in the opening of Westfield today. The price workers pay in building these projects is often their health, disability, or even death. We have always said this is unacceptable, and it is shameful these people are not being remembered today.”
Construction union UCATT acknowledged that despite the recent accidents and a a fatality in late 2009, the site generally has a good safety record – it recently passed a million man-hours without a reportable accident for the fourth time. But the recent incidents are a source of “extreme concern” for the union.
Regional Secretary of its London and South East Region, Jerry Swain, said: “UCATT has been working diligently round the clock in a proactive manner in order to prevent accidents from occurring. These accidents underline just how dangerous the industry is, particularly when workers are required to work long hours in a rush to finish a project.”
Mr Swain, added: “The industry needs to review how safety is maintained in the final stages of projects so that accident risks are significantly reduced.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony today, chair of the Westfield Group Frank Lowy AC, said: “We are immensely proud of this world-class shopping centre, which is the culmination of over 50 years’ experience. The project has been delivered on time, on budget, and over 95-per-cent leased at opening.”
Boris Johnson (pictured at the ceremony) praised the centre’s “crucial role in the remarkable regeneration of east London”, adding that it had created thousands of jobs for Londoners and helped secure “a bright future for [a] long-neglected corner of the capital”.
The centre is located next to the Olympic Park and three-quarters of all spectators at the Games are expected to walk directly through it on their way to the Park.
