Daniel Hazelton (aged 30), his brother Thomas Hazelton (26), Adam Taylor (28) and Peter Johnson (42) were killed on 21 January 2011 when a huge steel reinforcing cage that they were building in an excavated foundation pit collapsed onto them. The inquest last week heard that 13 tonnes of steel came down on them.
The four men worked for Hazegood Construction, which had been subcontracted by Encompass Project Management to build Claxton Engineering a new £1.5m pressure test facility for offshore oil and gas pipes at its site in Great Yarmouth.
Coroner Jacqueline Lake directed the jury that accidental death was the only verdict open to them.
A statement issued on behalf of the victims’ families said: “We will never be able to come to terms with our devastating loss; four men went to work that day and never came home again. The evidence clearly showed that Dan, Tom, Peter and Adam were conscientious and skilled workers and no concerns were raised about the steel work they were doing.
“We hope the Health & Safety Executive will take appropriate action against those responsible so justice is done, and that lessons will be learned to ensure such a terrible tragedy never happens again.”
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