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 Barney’s family campaign for safety, mother Pam Khizer is far right. Inset: ‘Barney’ Kennedy
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Family of electrocuted man march on town hall in safety plea
THE FAMILY of a man electrocuted while working on a council estate last year confronted Town Hall chiefs on Tuesday over their health and safety record.
Father-of-two Ralph Kennedy, known as ‘Barney’, was electrocuted by a light fitting on the Mayford estate in Somers Town in September.
Although the family expect to hear why Barney died when his inquest takes place in April, they said further tragedies since his death have forced them to act now.
The death of a two-year-old boy, Saurav Ghai, crushed by a council wall, the electrocution of a dog by a live lamp post and a caretaker who suffered a shock from a lightbulb last month have concerned them.
They also claim a workman drilled through to live wires while working there, although the council have not confirmed that. On Tuesday the family marched to Town Hall from the spot where Mr Kennedy died and demanded a meeting with council chiefs. Council leader Keith Moffitt and assistant housing director Catherine Illingworth spoke to them.
Pam Khizer, Mr Kennedy’s mother, said: “This is not just about Barney. There are other cases out there. How many times do people have to report dodgy things on an estate before you step in? Does it need another death?”
Ms Illingworth told the family she could not answer their questions until after the inquest. She said: “The problem with these HSE (Health and Safety Executive) inquiries is it’s difficult to be totally transparent while they’re going on because there can be criminal proceedings. The police are still involved. We have to make sure we’re not jeopardising their investigation.”
Camden could face criminal proceedings if investigators believe it was guilty of corporate manslaughter.
Cllr Moffitt refused to answer questions from the New Journal.
Under questioning from Mrs Khizer, Ms Illingworth revealed she had not read comments made by housing chief Cllr Chris Naylor regarding an Improvement Notice issued by the HSE in November.
The HSE issued the notice before Mr Kennedy’s inquest because they felt changes needed to be made urgently. Ms Illingworth said: “I haven’t actually read this as I only started in January.”
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