THE Health and Safety Executive has launched a probe into last Thursday’s fire in Reading town centre.
The incident happened at 11.38am on November 23, and affected part of the One Station Hill construction site.
The fire was brought under control very quickly and two people were taken to the RBH for smoke inhalation, but have since been released.
Roads around the site, including Friar Street and Station Hill, were closed to traffic to allow emergency crews access to the site.
It was the second such incident at the site: the other was on Friday, July 7.
And in 2018, during the demotion phase, scaffolding in Garrard Street collapsed, injuring three people.
On Friday, Reading East MP Matt Rodda visited the scene and confirmed he had written to the HSE calling on them to investigate the management of the health and safety on the site.
In his letter, he wrote: “Workers at this site were injured and some had a very lucky escape, with one worker being hoisted away from the top of a tower block seconds before he was about to be engulfed in smoke and flames.
“This serious incident is not the first one at this building site. I understand that this is the second fire to have broken out in the last five months.
“I am concerned, therefore, that there may be a more widespread failure of health and safety at the site.”
And Reading Borough Council has also been active on the site, working with contractors McAlpine to make the area safe.
A spokesman for Reading Borough Council said: “Our emergency response was activated due to the fire in Station Hill and we assisted our emergency service partners with their work.
“Our emergency protocols are there for the safety and security of our communities, and in the event of evacuations.
“Our Building Control service was involved in the initial inspection in the immediate aftermath of the fire to assess the safety of the building and continue to monitor the situation.
“The Health and Safety Executive is aware of the incident and will conduct any further investigation.”
A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive confirmed: “We are aware of this incident and making enquiries.”
