René Tkacik, 44, from Slovakia, was killed on 7th March 2014 while working as a concrete sprayer on the project at Fisher Street in Holborn.
An inquest held at St Pancras Coroners Court heard how Mr Tkacik was fatally injured when just under a tonne of wet concrete fell down on top of him as he was undertaking duties in the tunnel. He was working for contracting joint venture BFK as part of efforts to earn money to enable his daughter to go to university.
During the hearing it was also revealed that a physical barrier to demarcate the exclusion zone, in which no one should enter, was not in place at the time of Mr Tkacik’s death. He was found in the zone following the accident.
Since the accident the system of work at the Fisher Street site of Crossrail has changed and a physical barrier was subsequently put in place. The jury heard that not having a physical barrier meant that the position of the exclusion zone was subjective and not clearly marked.
Mr Tkacik's poor grasp of the English language was also cited as a contributory factor as he was unable to fully understand safety briefings.
Recording a narrative verdict, the jury found that the definition and supervision of the exclusion zone was unclear. The lack of physical demarcation caused confusion. The jury also found that the translation of daily briefings took place on an ad hoc basis.
Now, following the conclusion of the inquest, workplace injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell acting for Mr Tkacik’s wife Renata Tkacikova and daughter Ester Tkacikova have said they are focused on ensuring that his family get the financial support they need following the loss of their husband and father.
Chani Dhaliwal, the legal specialist at Irwin Mitchell who is representing the wife and daughter, said: “The inquest has provided important information regarding the chain of events which led to the tragedy that claimed the life of Mr Tkacik, a much-loved husband and father who died while working to provide for his loved ones.
“We are particularly concerned by the system of work that was deployed at the Fisher Street site of Crossrail. Had a safe system of work been implemented then this accident may never have happened.
“Following the conclusion of the hearing, we are determined to help Mr Tkacik’s wife and daughter to gain justice regarding the sequence of events which led to his death, as well as to help gain reassurances that lessons have been learned which will ensure no one else faces the difficulties they have been forced to endure.”
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