TWO firms have been issued with massive fines after a construction worker lost his life during an accident in the building of Heathrow Terminal 5.
A fellow construction worker was also left paralysed in the 2005 accident, where a multi-storey car park was being built.
Construction firms Laing O'Rourke Infrastructure Ltd, of Dartford, and SBG Services Ltd of Kingston, were fined a combined £105,000 over the accident.
Both companies pleaded guilty to breaching two sections of the Health and Safety Act and were fined at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday.
Matthew Gilbert, 27, from Plymouth, died when he fell 17 metres to the concrete floor below, as a concrete slab he was standing on collapsed.
Parminder Singh, 21, from Slough also suffered life-changing injuries in the fall.
Karen Morris, HSE inspector, said: "The tragic death of one man and the serious injuries suffered by his colleague could have been prevented if more robust systems were in place.
"It is vital that safety-critical components are inspected to ensure that defective equipment is not used."
