The first accident at work has been recorded at the Olympic Park this week as a crane driver was reported dead.
Work began on the facilities for the 2012 Games five years ago, but this is the first accident at work to be recorded on the site. The body of the 65-year-old crane driver was discovered in the vehicle’s stairwell at the Athletes Village where he was working yesterday (28 June).
The cause of death remains unconfirmed but a construction worker told the Metro that the man slipped and fell about nine metres as he attempted to descend the crane ladder from his cab. “He suffered severe head injuries,” the source added.
While the Olympic Delivery Authority confirmed the incident, they stated that investigations cannot yet confirm “as to whether this incident was due to a medical condition or was accident-related”.
A statement from the London Ambulance Service, meanwhile, explained that three ambulance crews, a single responder in a car and a medical team from the capital’s Air Ambulance were sent in response to the accident. “Sadly, despite extensive efforts to resuscitate him, the patient was pronounced dead at the scene by the air ambulance doctor,” the statement confirmed.
The news comes after the ODA’s announcement earlier this month boasting that construction on the Olympic site had seen three million working hours with no serious injuries.