ID :
100392
Fri, 01/15/2010 - 17:56
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/100392
The shortlink copeid
Worker falls to his death from 7th floor
A building worker has fallen to his death, narrowly missing two pedestrians as he
plunged seven floors at a Melbourne construction site.
Two men were reportedly walking past the south Melbourne site when the subcontractor
fell and landed next to them after a mobile work platform inside the building tipped
from under his feet.
Bystanders tried to resuscitate the man before paramedics arrived but his injuries
were too extensive and he was pronounced dead, paramedic Jacqui Cook said in a
statement.
"It's obviously quite traumatic for the man's colleagues and for the two men who
were walking along the footpath near where the worker fell," she said.
"Counselling is being organised for them."
The South Melbourne site is run by Hickory Developments, which said in a statement
on Friday afternoon it had an impeccable record and was co-operating with the
investigation.
"Hickory has an impeccable safety record and one of the lowest incidents of any
construction company of a comparable size in Australia," the statement said.
"Hickory's heartfelt condolences go to the worker's family at this tragic time."
A spokesman for the Victorian Master Builders Association also offered condolences
and said safety was "an important issue to us" but added it was premature to comment
further.
But the Worksafe authority criticised the building industry over poor safety standards.
The construction industry was the equal worst culprit - alongside agriculture - for
workplace fatalities, contributing to eight out of the 30 deaths in 2009, Worksafe
spokesman Michael Birt said.
Falls accounted for six of those 30 deaths, he said.
"This is yet another case today of a building site being shut down, a major
investigation getting under way and whoever is in charge losing a lot of money every
day the site is shut down," Mr Birt told AAP.
"If people in the industry don't get the fact that people die and suffer permanent
injuries they will have to get the fact they will lose money for a while before you
even talk about prosecutions."
Worksafe is investigating Friday's death and work has ceased on the Dorcas Street
site, where apartments are being built.
It was the second workplace fatality in Melbourne this week.
A 60-year-old man was crushed by a 200kg commercial computer that fell from a
forklift at Laverton on Tuesday.
plunged seven floors at a Melbourne construction site.
Two men were reportedly walking past the south Melbourne site when the subcontractor
fell and landed next to them after a mobile work platform inside the building tipped
from under his feet.
Bystanders tried to resuscitate the man before paramedics arrived but his injuries
were too extensive and he was pronounced dead, paramedic Jacqui Cook said in a
statement.
"It's obviously quite traumatic for the man's colleagues and for the two men who
were walking along the footpath near where the worker fell," she said.
"Counselling is being organised for them."
The South Melbourne site is run by Hickory Developments, which said in a statement
on Friday afternoon it had an impeccable record and was co-operating with the
investigation.
"Hickory has an impeccable safety record and one of the lowest incidents of any
construction company of a comparable size in Australia," the statement said.
"Hickory's heartfelt condolences go to the worker's family at this tragic time."
A spokesman for the Victorian Master Builders Association also offered condolences
and said safety was "an important issue to us" but added it was premature to comment
further.
But the Worksafe authority criticised the building industry over poor safety standards.
The construction industry was the equal worst culprit - alongside agriculture - for
workplace fatalities, contributing to eight out of the 30 deaths in 2009, Worksafe
spokesman Michael Birt said.
Falls accounted for six of those 30 deaths, he said.
"This is yet another case today of a building site being shut down, a major
investigation getting under way and whoever is in charge losing a lot of money every
day the site is shut down," Mr Birt told AAP.
"If people in the industry don't get the fact that people die and suffer permanent
injuries they will have to get the fact they will lose money for a while before you
even talk about prosecutions."
Worksafe is investigating Friday's death and work has ceased on the Dorcas Street
site, where apartments are being built.
It was the second workplace fatality in Melbourne this week.
A 60-year-old man was crushed by a 200kg commercial computer that fell from a
forklift at Laverton on Tuesday.
