A tragic incident in Hackney, East London, has raised concerns over balcony safety after 37-year-old fashion designer Sarah McGreevy fell to her death while attempting to clear a blocked drainpipe from her sixth-floor flat.
The inquest into her death revealed that Ms McGreevy climbed onto a wooden box on her balcony to clear the drain, accidentally falling over the edge at approximately 9.40 am on 16 June.
Assistant Coroner Sarah Bourke has called on Hackney Council to address safety issues following the inquest, concluding on Wednesday.
In her report on the prevention of future deaths, Bourke urged the council, as the freeholder, to take immediate action to prevent similar tragedies, citing that residents in the block had previously resorted to self-cleaning balconies and pipes, especially during heavy rainfall.
Officers responding to the incident discovered a wooden box on Ms McGreevy’s balcony and her mobile phone on a window ledge near the drainpipe, which had earlier been repaired with heavy-duty tape.
Forensic photos showed dirt under Ms McGreevy’s fingernails, suggesting she had been engaged in a cleaning task prior to her fall.
“I found that it was more likely than not that Ms McGreevy had climbed onto the wooden box to clear the pipe and had accidentally fallen over the balcony,” noted Coroner Bourke.
Bourke highlighted that, unless proper repairs are made, residents may continue to perform these dangerous tasks themselves.
She stressed the need for immediate measures, stating, “In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you and your organisation have the power to take such action.”
Hackney Council has until 1 January to respond to the coroner’s report. In a statement, a council spokesperson expressed condolences and acknowledged the coroner’s safety concerns.
“This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with the friends and family of Sarah McGreevy. “We do not expect anyone living in a Hackney Council home to clean their own guttering and, like the coroner, we want to ensure an incident like this doesn’t happen again.
“We will be carefully going through her report and responding as quickly as possible.”
The council has pledged to respond promptly to ensure that residents are not left to handle potentially hazardous maintenance issues themselves.
