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Ralph Kennedy's family on the Mayford Estate |
Watchdog warning ‘too late’
Safety chiefs’ legal warning to Town Hall after fatal shock
SAFETY experts have ordered the Town Hall – by law – to take urgent action to make Camden’s construction sites safe.
The red alert came from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) last night (Wednesday) following the tragic electrocution of Ralph Kennedy, a scaffolder working on the Mayford Estate in Somers Town. He died two months ago.
In its first major response to the tragedy, the HSE has issued an ‘improvement notice’ to Camden Council, effectively a legal warning that electric supplies on sites are potentially dangerous and must be made safe.
Mr Kennedy’s relatives welcomed the intervention but said it was “a little bit too late”.
They are also angry that they have been stopped from putting up a plaque at the spot where he died.
The order applies to all construction sites where Camden is ultimately the employer, including all work on council estates.
The HSE is a national safety watch-dog that answers to the government. It only issues notices of this kind when it believes a company, or in this case Camden Council, is in breach of safety laws.
A HSE spokesman said yesterday (Wednesday): “The investigation (into Mr Kennedy’s death) is ongoing but this action is to make sure that nothing similar happens while we are investigating.”
The notice amounts to the first clue from investigators that something was seriously amiss on the day that Mr Kennedy, 24, – better known by the nickname ‘Barney’ – died. The father-of-two collapsed and died after touching a live light fitting.
His aunt June Loughran said yesterday (Wednesday): “Reading between the lines the council have been told they have to smarten up their act in relation to safety. It’s a good thing and not a good thing because it’s a little bit too late.”
Mr Kennedy, of Royal College Street, Camden Town, was working extra hours to pay for a puppy dog which he intended to give his son Bailey for his birthday.
Ms Loughran said: “Put it this way, if it prevents another tragedy then it’s all well and good. But it’s like watch this space really as to whether they practice what they preach.”
The extent of the probe by the HSE – national safety watchdogs – has been closely guarded. Even requests for details under the Freedom of Information Act have been thrown out.
For example, the New Journal has asked the Town Hall for the number of site inspectors it employs and how regularly they check sites. These questions were asked a month ago but have still not been answered.
The crunch question as to whether the Mayford site had a safety inspection in the days running up to Mr Kennedy’s death remains unanswered despite repeated enquiries by the New Journal.
A council press official said yesterday: “I can’t answer that at this stage because the investigation is ongoing.”
Housing chief Councillor Chris Naylor said the HSE’s intervention was a “milestone” in the investigation and pledged to ensure demands in the notice were met by a deadline of April next year.
But he added: “Health and Safety guidance generally is complex and the council does not believe that we are in contravention of the legislation. We are happy to adopt the measures recommended by the HSE so we see no need to appeal the notice.”
Cllr Naylor said: “I welcome the Health and Safety Executive’s advice which provides a milestone for Mr Kennedy’s family and friends in the difficult process of explaining this tragedy. Clearly however, it does not give an answer to the responsibility for Mr Kennedy’s death, the details of which are still under police and health and safety investigation. The safety of residents and visitors is paramount so we will follow the requirements set out in the HSE’s Improvement Notice by strengthening our systems and procedures on the inspection of electrical installations like the communal lighting at Mayford.”
A message of condolence and an explanation of the HSE action from council leader Keith Moffitt was couriered to Mr Kennedy’s close family yesterday (Wednesday).
Cllr Naylor added: “In advance of the Notice we had completed a full check on the estate lighting on the Mayford Estate. All the installations there have been tested and are working safely. We will be writing to Mayford residents again to confirm this and reassure them.”
Pictured page one: Back row from left: Ralph Kennedy’s brother Darren Kennedy, his cousins Hayley Hughes and Jay McInerney. Front row from left: his cousin Sammy Sayer, his second-cousin Jay McInerney-Hughes, his niece Spring Kennedy, and his sister Elizabeth Kennedy, sat in front of the spot where he died on the Mayford estate. They are holding a copy of the petition and the plaque dedication (see above). |
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