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Workers killed at work (builders)

Categories: Property, Tragedy

Group

The thousands of building workers who have lost their lives at work.

Researching one of these terrible events reminded us that we have found other memorials to people who died in 'accidents' at work. We don't like the word 'accident', since it suggests that nothing could have been done to prevent the death and that is seldom true. We've put together a list of these memorials to deaths at work (many but not all, building workers). To keep it manageable we have excluded: those serving in the emergency services, those killed in terrorist attacks or by war-time bombs, and those killed in rail crashes or on the road.

1853 - ten workmen killed at the Sydenham Crystal Palace construction site.

1877 - six crew members killed during the voyage bringing Cleopatra's Needle to London.

1895 - four men killed at the sewage pumping works, East Ham (Postman's Park).

1899 - one man killed in a boiler explosion at a Battersea sugar refinery (Postman's Park).

1899 - one stewardess drowned (Postman's Park).

1901 - three workmen poisoned by gas at a Stratford distillery ((Postman's Park).

1912 - about 900 crew members lost on the Titanic.

1917 - 73 people were killed in the Silvertown explosion, at a factory producing TNT for the war.

1969 - one demolition worker killed in the Dudgeon's Wharf explosion.

1975 - two engineers killed trying to rescue a third who also died, at Watneys' Mortlake Brewery.

1979 - four men involved in the design of Burgess Park killed in an air crash near Biggin Hill (not certain this was work-related).

1990 - three men killed by the gases in a sewer in Commercial Road.

2000 - three men killed in a construction crane at Canary Wharf.

The death toll at each of the events recorded on plaques in Postman's Park may be higher, but the plaques do not mention deaths of any except those attempting rescue.

In 2006 the statue to the thousands of building workers who have lost their lives at work was erected.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Workers killed at work (builders)

Commemorated ati

Ainsworth & Sharp

We could find nothing about this incident, until we asked Richmond Council's ...

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Burgess, Clark and Whittard

In memory of Martin Burgess, Peter Clark and Michael Whittard, who died on 21...

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Burgess Park designers - 1979 air crash

Geoffrey Mills was the pilot - see his page for more details. Our information...

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Cleopatra's needle - crew members lost

{A list of 6 names, oddly not in alphabetical sequence - see Subjects commemo...

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Crystal Palace workmen's grave

Twelve workmen were killed, but we are unable to find out where the other two...

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Show all 13

Other Subjects

Trevor Burfield

Trevor Burfield

Owner and/or manager of the development company Centremoor Ltd in 1972. Arranged for the erection of the replacement plaque commemorating Lenin, on 16 Percy Circus. Present at the unveiling. His c...

Person, Property

1 memorial
C. Dearing & Sons

C. Dearing & Sons

Builders in 1906.

Group, Property

1 memorial
Marylebone Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes

Marylebone Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes

Incorporated by royal charter in 1854, possibly on 7th April. Still operating in 1928.

Group, Philanthropy, Property, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Essex House - E3

Essex House - E3

In 1891 C. R. Ashbee moved the workshops of the Guild of Handicraft from 34 Commercial Street to Essex House, at 401 Mile End Road, an early eighteenth-century mansion. The guild prospered at Essex...

Building, Craft / Design, Property

1 memorial
William Thomas

William Thomas

From St Lawrence Fountain: "Relatively little is known of the contractor for the fountain, William Thomas, other than he was based at Clipstone Street, Westminster. He was previously based from Pri...

Person, Property

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Holy Trinity Priory

Holy Trinity Priory

Demolished by Henry VIII as part of the dissolution of the monasteries. Our picture shows the ruins as they were in 1826. c.1485 the priory built Bromley Hall, a manor house near the River Lea, st...

Building, Religion

1 memorial
Colyer-Fergusson - W1

Colyer-Fergusson - W1

W1, Fitzhardinge Street, Orchard Court

There must be many men who were awarded the VC, posthumously or not, whose birthplaces are not marked with a plaque. Why this one? His fa...

War dead | WW1
1 subject commemorated