Rail worker dies after hoist fall

A railway worker injured when repairing overhead lines in Essex has died.

Malcolm Slater, from Harold Wood in Essex, was one of three workers hurt at Margaretting when the metal basket of a hoist fell away from its hydraulic arm.

Bob Crow, from the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said this accident should "never have happened".

A Network Rail spokesman, said: "We are deeply saddened and our immediate thoughts are with Malcolm's family and friends in their time of loss."

Network Rail has withdrawn the apparatus from its sites while an investigation is carried out into its working.

The injured workers were repairing overhead lines on the Norwich to London line on 11 June when the basket of the hoist fell 20ft (6.15m) onto a track.

Union leader Mr Crow said: "Concerns about the inadequacy of the single weld attaching the basket to its arm had been raised with Network Rail.

"The accident is now being investigated by the Railway Inspectorate and of course the union will do everything it can to assist.

"But it is essential that these machines are not allowed back into service until appropriate remedial action is taken."

The hoists were in use to repair overhead lines brought down by a train - which caused major disruption to the main services from London to Norwich via Colchester and Ipswich.

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