Union wants involvement in Solihull HS2 death investigation

The man was working for a firm in HS2 contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI's supply chain when the "industrial incident" happened

A union says it must be included in an investigation into the death of a worker at an HS2 construction site in Solihull.

The man, thought to be in his early 70s, was working on Middle Bickenhill Lane, in Marston Green, on Thursday.

He was employed by a firm in HS2 contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI's (BBV) supply chain.

BBV, which is to undertake an inquiry into the circumstances, said it was following investigation protocols.

But the Unite union said for transparency's sake it should be involved in BBV's probe.

West Midlands Ambulance Service last week described events as an "industrial incident".

Emergency services were called to the scene at about 16:00 BST, with West Midlands Fire Service saying a man had gone into cardiac arrest. After treatment, he was taken to hospital where, police said, he died.

An investigation has been started by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) along with West Midlands Police.

There is also to be an additional probe by BBV and it is that process that should include Unite, says Jerry Swain, the union's national officer for construction.

He said: "It is only by working collectively together that we can discover what occurred, learn from this tragedy and provide the workforce with reassurance and confidence that everything is being done to protect their safety."

Unite's general secretary Sharon Graham said: "It is absolutely essential that the full facts of this tragedy are fully established in a transparent manner."

A spokesperson for BBV said it was following investigation protocols and could not provide more information until the inquiry concluded.

"Unite will be able to review the findings of the investigation once they are in the public domain," they added.