Demolition of former Olympia continues after roof collapse drama

Demolition work continued on the former Olympia swimming pool after the drama of Friday when part of the roof collapsed on one of the contractors’ machines.

The operator of the long-reach demolition equipment escaped injury and walked away after a corner of the roof he was dismantling fell on to his vehicle.

The crashing of the structure was seen and heard by city centre workers and commuters, and sent clouds of dust swirling over the waterfront.

Contractors Central Demolition then spent hours digging out the machine, which had become covered and trapped by the rubble.

The company notified the Health and Safety Executive, which said it was continuing to carry out preliminary inquiries into the incident.

A spokeswoman for the agency said its involvement was not a formal investigation, a step that is takenonly in specific circumstances, including deaths and injuries and unintentional collapses of buildings.