A STUDENT officer was seriously injured when a huge piece of metal cladding on the newly refurbished Faraday building fell on him.
Mahaboob Basha, the International Officer, was on his way to the campus mosque when the accident happened.
The full time officer was hit in the back when a piece of cladding the height of the building struck him in the back.
He is suspected of having broken three ribs, and is suffering pain in his hip joint and his left leg, as well as multiple bruises and stiffness in his neck. He is awaiting the results of X-rays but doctors have told him not to drive or operate machinery for six months.
The £2.75 million refurbishment of the Faraday building was only completed last term. The exterior has been clad with multi-coloured glass and metal panels. It was one of the metal panels at the rear of building which fell off.
The Waterfront contacted the Leadbitter Group, the company which did the refurbishment, but they refused to comment on the incident.
Leadbitter’s website states that they are “delivering quality and robustness in every construction project” and have been involved in building works on universities, schools and housing projects across the country.
A spokesperson from the university said: “A piece of cladding came off the rear of the Faraday building early (around 6.45am) on Friday 18th January. The area was cordoned off immediately and the fire brigade were called.
“The cause of the incident is being investigated but there had been snow and high winds.
“We were not aware that an individual had been involved in the incident but having now been made aware of this our safety team will be carrying out an investigation.”
Swansea Students’ Union Welfare officer Charlotte Britton said: “It is very worrying that part of the building fell off. We still haven’t found out why it happened yet but the university definitely are looking into it.
“The students’ union is supporting Basha and making sure he is OK.”
