The boiler house collapsed in February 2016 (Pete Lusabia/Alamy Stock Photo)
Thames Valley Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are working through 870 tonnes of evidence related to the partial collapse at Didcot Power Station, they have revealed on the third anniversary of the disaster.
Four men – Michael Collings, Ken Cresswell, Christopher Huxtable and John Shaw – were killed during the incident on 23 February 2016.
Paying tribute to the men, Thames Valley Police assistant chief constable, Jason Hogg, said: “Thames Valley Police along with our colleagues at the Health and Safety Executive remain committed to obtaining answers and justice for those who have been affected.
“A dedicated team continues to investigate manslaughter and health and safety offences. The investigation has now moved off the site of the collapse with 870 tonnes of evidence moved to the Health and Safety Executive’s Science Division facility in Buxton, Derbyshire for further forensic examination.
“A team of experts from HSE and Thames Valley Police, supported by independent scientific experts, continue to analyse thousands of exhibits and work through complex technical data which takes significant time to analyse and interpret.
“Further detailed interviews of both witnesses and potential suspects are also planned to further progress the investigation.”
Hogg added that police were working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to make sure all lines of enquiry were explored in the complex case and said he wanted to reassure the families of the men killed that the force remained committed to the investigation.
Long wait for answers
Sarah Jardine, HSE construction division head of operations said: “On this, the third anniversary of the tragic incident at Didcot A Power Station, HSE would like to pay tribute to Michael, Chris, Ken and John, and to their families who continue to wait patiently for answers as to how this terrible event occurred.
“We also remember others working on the site that day who suffered physical and psychological injuries and those who lost close friends and workmates.
“Working tirelessly alongside colleagues from Thames Valley Police, HSE’s dedicated investigation team remains committed to getting to the truth of what happened for the families. The investigation will reveal if any criminal offences have been committed and it seeks to learn any wider lessons for the industry to help prevent anything like this happening again.
“More details of our investigation will be shared as and when we are able to do so.”
Coleman investigations
Last year, Coleman Group, the demolition contractor at the centre of the tragedy said its own investigations “clearly” show the cause of the fatal accident.
Coleman director James Howard said the contractor has commissioned its own investigations into the accident.
He said: “In our view, [the investigations] clearly show why and how units 1 and 2 of the boiler house collapsed. We believe the findings highlight industry-wide practices that need to be challenged and reviewed.”
Howard said the contractor was continuing to work with the police and HSE “to understand the cause of the collapse, provide justice for the families, and learn lessons for the industry”.
Earlier this month, the firm revealed that a ‘perfect storm’ of the deferral of two major contracts, Brexit uncertainty, and ongoing legacy issues following the Didcot accident pushed it into a £1.37m loss.
Coleman Group declined to comment following Thames Valley Police’s latest statement.
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This is all well and good, and I fully understand why the investigation needs to be thorough and comprehensive. But Didcot A is just one of a number of coal fired power stations being demolished around the world.
If there was an intrinsic fault in the design of these boiler houses, or if there is a lesson to be learned from Didcot that might make such future demolition works safer, we need those answers now, not in one, two or three years’s time.
It has been clear from the very outset that the HSE is looking towards a prosecution over this. And if someone or some company is culpable, then that is perfectly correct. But that should not be used to hinder the wider industry from learning from this tragedy. And it certainly should not delay the closure the families of the four men deserve.
Sometimes accidental accidents do happen, and casting about for someone to blame is more often than not a total waste of time. One could argue that agreeing to pay £6 million pounds to be shared amongst the four bereaved families and compensating the injured quickly makes more sense, than a long trial with numerous Court hearings, and paying some 6-or more teams of fat cat ‘learned lawyers’ several times more than this makes more sense. We all want justice to be seen to be done, but is it in the public interest to carry out a 3 – 5 year witch hunt to discover maybe an original design fault was too blame. It’s all pointless, and with the long passage of time even more so. I for one cannot even remember this accident happening, and I am certain nor can 80% of the British public. Cut costs – settle it out of court and walk away.
First of all all of us who work in the construction industry feel so torn apart for the four families.
I can only agree with Mark’s comments,how many other could die or be seriousely injuried while we all wait for the outcome,there must be some basic findings which can be released which could help companies planning future demolition of major structures.