The building union has described the Canberra civil construction industry as a time bomb and says two worksite deaths in a matter of months and a series of serious incidents should be a wake-up call for the sector.
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The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union has recorded dozens of worksite incidents in the civil sector since the bridge collapse on the Barton Highway in August 2010, which injured 15 workers.
ACT branch secretary Dean Hall said the death of a 48-year-old Gunning man was another wake-up call for the industry. Michael Booth died in hospital on Wednesday night after allegedly suffering an electric shock at a Kenoss Contractors worksite in Turner last Friday.
The Transport Workers Association said Mr Booth was a hard worker who had been working for a contracting company for nine months. ACT branch secretary Klaus Pinkas said Kenoss Contractors had been involved in discussions regarding a $10,000 donation to Mr Booth's family.
The Master Builders Association said the tragic death would force the industry to re-evaluate safety on construction sites. The organisation plans to launch an initiative next month aimed at lifting safety awareness on worksites.
Construction worker Wayne Vickery, 45, died just before Christmas last year, leaving behind his wife and two children. He was the victim of a workplace accident at a West Macgregor building site when he was crushed by a road grader.
ACT Work Safety Commissioner Mark McCabe said Worksafe ACT made about 30 worksite visits to the construction industry a week.
The CFMEU has a series of reports on more than 30 serious incidents at civil construction worksites extending back to August 2010, but said many incidents went unreported.
They range from trucks hitting high-voltage power lines to road rollers tipping over and injuring workers and asbestos issues.
''There's a major problem of non-compliance to safety bubbling under the surface of the civil construction industry - it's cracked and unstable,'' Mr Hall said.
''These guys are going to work and unnecessarily being put at risk because there are lax attitudes about safety.
''All parties are at fault, including us.''
There have been almost six worksite incidents from ''runaway trucks'' to ''truck rolls'' at Abigroup and John Holland construction sites, according to CFMEU. The union has alleged that a drill rig fell 70 metres severely injuring a worker on one site.
Mr Hall said one man fractured his back in three places on a Kenoss Contractors worksite in Molonglo after a roller tipped over. Another worker was crushed by a runaway truck on a BMD construction site and one worker was injured on a Woden Contractors site after compressed air exploded in a sewer pipe.
Mr Hall said the Cotter Dam was a major concern because of ''numerous'' incidents there.
Other issues on CFMEU's radar are exposure to asbestos and companies not recognising licensing standards.
''We need to reward people in the industry who improve safety through training, better practices and better equipment,'' Mr Hall said.
