Codrut Iederan

I heard at inquest that the site manager for the Anchor and Hope Public House construction was the site first aider, but he was off site at the time of the fatal accident. The remaining four workers were all Romanian non native English speakers, and none was first aid trained.

Mr Iederan had the best English of the four, but of course after the accident he was not in a position to help himself. When one of his colleagues tried to call an ambulance, he realised that he did not know the number. He asked a passer by and so no time was lost in this case. However, when I asked him in court if he now knew the number, some eleven months after Mr Iederan’s death, he did not, despite still being employed by Zelltec.

I am conscious that many construction sites in London are heavily supported by foreign workers. It seems to me that it would be of great assistance if employers and site managers were to ensure that all members of their workforce were able to summon help in an emergency. In addition to signs (perhaps in languages other than English) with the 999 number displayed clearly, this could be covered in toolbox talks – of course how it is done is of course a matter for you.