Two firms fined after falling window killed Mick Ferris
St James Group Ltd and Lindner Prater convicted of ignoring safety risks at The Corniche development.
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Mick Ferris, 53, died on 2 October 2018 when a 130kg window fell 300 feet from the 26th floor of The Corniche, a luxury development on Albert Embankment. The incident occurred around 10.40am as Mr Ferris, a coach driver, was returning to his vehicle. Inner London Crown Court heard the window measured 85cm by 190cm.
Company convictions and fines
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Property developer St James Group Ltd and facade contractor Lindner Prater were convicted of failing to discharge a duty under section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The court found both companies guilty of ignoring foreseeable risks. St James Group Ltd was fined £1 million. Lindner Prater was ordered to pay £300,000. Both companies were also ordered to pay £125,000 each in costs.
Rachel Ferris, the widow of Mick Ferris, stated that the actions of the companies led to her husband's death. She commented that Mr Ferris was simply going about his business and that the possibility of such an incident affecting anyone else, including a child, was a constant concern.
Previous incident at the building
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The Inner London Crown Court ordered the two firms to pay costs of £125,000 each after finding them guilty of ignoring foreseeable risks that led to a fatal falling pane in 2018.
An earlier incident involving a window falling from the same building occurred in August 2017. Despite this previous event, the design of the windows was not substantially altered. HSE principal inspector James Goldfinch commented that no one's life should be endangered due to the clear failings of others, adding that the incident on 2 October 2018 could have affected any passer-by.
Questions this report answers
+What happened to Mick Ferris?
Mick Ferris, 53, was killed on 2 October 2018 when a 130kg window fell from the 26th floor of The Corniche building on Albert Embankment. He was returning to his vehicle at the time of the incident.
+Which companies were held responsible and what were the penalties?
Property developer St James Group Ltd and facade contractor Lindner Prater were found guilty of ignoring foreseeable risks. St James Group Ltd was fined £1 million, and Lindner Prater was ordered to pay £300,000. Both also paid £125,000 each in costs.
+Was this the first incident at The Corniche?
No, an earlier incident where a window fell from the same building occurred in August 2017. Despite this, the window design was not significantly changed before the fatal incident in October 2018.
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