01.03.2013

Fatal fall at French Nuclear power plant

Two men died and another was seriously injured after a platform failure at the Cattenom atomic energy plant in north east France yesterday.

The three men were working on a three week major maintenance programme in the building of reactor number four. They were painting/treating the walls from - we understand - a suspended platform.

The platform was being re-positioned when it is said to have broken free/become detached, causing the men to fall head-first around four metres to the ground. No mention was made of whether the men were wearing any form of harness.

Eric Diloy, 43, and Abdel Hafid Dahi, 42, were declared dead at the scene, while David Chaplin, 38, was seriously injured but his condition is not thought to be life threatening. The men were employed by subcontractor Presiozo-Technilor and platform supplier TLS Tractel.

The local prosecutor Jean-Francois Mailhes, has opened an investigation into the incident. France's Nuclear Safety Authority and the regional police of Metz are also handling the investigation.