Construction firm to go on trial after three men died in Crewe building site tragedy
A hearing has taken place at Chester Crown Court
A company will go on trial next year over a crane collapse that resulted in the deaths of three men.
On Friday October 6, Prashant Popat KC, representing Falcon Tower Crane Services Ltd, entered not guilty pleas on behalf of the firm to two alleged breaches under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
18 year old Rhys Barker of Castleford, West Yorkshire, David Newall, 36, of Bradford, and David Webb of Northampton, who was 43, died following the incident at a construction site in Dunwoody Way, Crewe on June 21 2017.
The crane fell on to a house, although the occupants were not injured.
In a brief hearing at Chester Crown Court, the company denied failing to ensure the health and safety of its employees, including the three men, on and before June 21 2017.
It is said the firm failed to devise and implement a suitable and sufficient process involved in erecting a Potain MC85b tower crane.
Falcon Tower Crane Services Ltd faces an additional charge that on and before June 21 2017 it failed to ensure that persons not in their employment were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.
Several relatives of the deceased watched the proceedings from the public gallery.
The trial, with an estimated length of four weeks, will take place in the week beginning November 4 2024.
A pre-trial review was set for July 5 next year.