HS2 worker dies after incident at Solihull construction site
A man has died after an ‘industrial incident’ at an HS2 construction site in Solihull.
Ambulance, police and fire crews were called to Middle Bickenhill Lane in the Marston Green area of the borough shortly after 4pm on Thursday (April 27).
West Midlands Ambulance Service sent multiple resources including the Midlands Air Ambulance, the Medical Emergency Response Intervention Team’s trauma doctor, an ambulance and a paramedic officer and found a man in a ‘serious condition’.
Ambulance crews then called the first service shortly before 5pm to ask for assistance in getting the man to the air ambulance.
A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said: "We had a called at 4.58pm on Thursday (April 27), a request to assist the ambulance service in Middle Bickenhill Lane.
"We sent a 4x4 brigade response vehicle and a fire engine from Sheldon and Hay Mills.
"The incident involved a man believed to be in his early 70s in cardiac arrest. Crews were required to assist ambulance staff in carrying the man to the air ambulance."
The ambulance service said they had treated the man at the scene before airlifting him to a major trauma centre.
A spokesman for the service said: "We were called to an industrial incident near to Middle Bickenhill Lane at 4.09pm on Thursday.
"One ambulance, a paramedic officer, a MERIT trauma doctor and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford attended the scene.
On arrival, we discovered one male patient who was in a serious condition.
West Midlands Police also attended the incident and confirmed the man had suffered injuries at the construction site and was then confirmed to have died.
A spokesman for the force said: “We were called to a construction site on Middle Bickenhill Lane, Solihull, to reports that a man had been injured.
“He was taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead a short time later. We are liaising with the Health & Safety Executive and enquiries continue.”
A spokeswoman for HS2 said: "We are deeply saddened to confirm that an employee working for a company in the supply chain of HS2’s contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI died today following an incident on site near Marston Green on Thursday, April 27.
"Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.
"We are working with our construction partner and the relevant authorities to understand the cause of this incident."
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident on the HS2 site and are making enquiries alongside West Midlands Police.”
"Following treatment at the scene, the man was airlifted to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire for further treatment."