The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Thames Valley Police who are conducting a joint investigations into the deaths of four workers who died in the Didcot power station collapse have said they are considering pursuing charges of corporate manslaughter.
In February 2016, part of the boiler house at Didcot power station collapsed during demolition work, causing the tragic deaths of Kenneth Cresswell, Michael Collings, Christopher Huxtable and John Shaw.
On 31 January, a pre-inquest hearing held at Oxford Coroner’s Court heard that charges of corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and health and safety offences were being considered.
Lead investigating officer, Detective chief inspector Craig Kirby, said: "As the investigation has progressed, a number of significant witnesses have been identified and interviewed. A number of individuals and companies suspected of committing offences have been identified and voluntarily interviewed under caution."
Although Detective chief inspector Kirby did not know how long the investigation would take he confirmed that an initial file was submitted to the CPS in December 2017. He added: "Clearance of boilers one and two has been completed, and independent contractors continue to clear boilers three and four. This work is expected to be completed by spring 2018. Thames Valley Police and the HSE remain committed to carrying out a thorough investigation to ascertain if any criminal or health and safety related offences have taken place."
The company who were responsible for the decommissioning of Didcot when the incident occurred, Coleman and Company, have said they have launched their own investigation into what happened and would be writing to the HSE and police investigating the collapse to share their preliminary findings.
Director of the company, James Howard, said: "We commissioned our own investigations which, in our view, clearly show why and how units one and two of the boiler house collapsed. We believe the findings highlight industry-wide practices that need to be challenged and reviewed."
