Just inches from death, passer-by poleaxed by 17lb block of concrete: The moment pedestrian had miracle escape when foot-long chunk of masonry fell 26ft Amazingly, the 29-year-old passer-by suffered only cuts and bruises Walking under a cherry picker in the high street in Camberley, Surrey The machinery dislodged the stone, which plummeted to the ground This is the moment a young man walking past a building site narrowly escaped death when a careless worker dislodged a 17lb block of concrete from 26ft up. A split second after he stepped around a workman moving a barrier, the missile fell, missing his head by a few inches in a stroke of good fortune that almost certainly saved his life. With lady luck on his side, the 29-year-old pedestrian was struck a glancing blow on his right shoulder and knocked to the pavement. The man, who does not want to be named, suffered cuts, bruises and muscle spasms as a result of the accident. The mental scars may take a lot longer to heal. A health and safety executive investigation found that a cherry picker was being used overhead to clean stonework and install anti-pigeon spikes. When it was moved, it struck the building and dislodged the block. There were no barriers erected underneath the work in Camberley, Surrey, when the rubble fell on the busy high street. Portsmouth-based Majestic Construction told Guildford Magistrates" Court that the barriers were being moved to provide a safe working area where the cherry picker was heading. But none of its workers thought to warn pedestrians of the potential danger. The company was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £5,473 costs. It pleaded guilty to a single breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. After the hearing, HSE inspector Andrew Cousins said the incident last May could have been easily avoided. "This was an entirely preventable incident that resulted in a large chunk of masonry being knocked on to an entirely innocent pedestrian," he said. Public safety needs to be managed in exactly the same way as that of those undertaking the work, and not just left to chance. Majestic Construction declined to comment because of a claim relating to the incident. But in its promotional material it says: "We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service and workmanship. With attention to detail and commitment to our clients, you won't be disappointed.