INCIDENT: SCHOOL BUILDING COLLAPSE

Workman trapped as building collapsed during demolition

It has been reported by the Exeter Express and Echo that a workman is recovering in hospital after being trapped under a collapsed building at a primary school.

Emergency services were called to Lympstone Primary School in East Devon and the 50-year-old male was taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth with neck and leg injuries which are not thought to be life threatening.

The workman was demolishing a long standing temporary building at the school and the incident was witnessed by several schoolchildren.

Headteacher Tony Priest said:

“The school is going through a period of expansion and as a result some of the older rooms are being demolished. This particular building was a temporary structure that had been in use for many years. During the lunch time two of the walls and the roof of the building came down. There were three workmen on the site, two managed to get clear but the other was caught under the roof. The emergency services arrived promptly and used specialist jacks to raise the rubble.

It happened at lunchtime so there were children out and about and some saw and heard what happened. We finished the lunch break early and the children were back in class quickly. It is awful to think what might have happened had there been children inside.”

Devon and Cornwall police said:

“There was one man trapped inside by his legs, six to eight feet in rubble. He was extracted by the fire service. Thankfully the casualty didn’t suffer any major injuries. He’s got a relatively minor ankle injury. He was taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital by land ambulance as a precaution. HSE was advised and will be beginning an investigation into the circumstances.”

This article was posted on 17th June 2013 in ALL LATEST NEWS, INCIDENTS, STRUCTURAL SAFETY.
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INCIDENT: SCHOOL BUILDING COLLAPSE

Workman trapped as building collapsed during demolition

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