Faulty scaffolding may have caused a worker to fall and impale his leg on a concrete reinforcement bar at a construction site in Kingston today.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The workers were on scaffolding at a Leichhardt Street site about 12.37pm today, erecting pre-fabricated concrete panels.
One of the workers slipped and fell from the scaffolding, spearing his leg through a concrete reinforcement bar. He was taken to Canberra Hospital by ambulance with minor injuries and in a stable condition.
WorkSafe ACT sent inspectors to the site today and found faults with the scaffolding, which they believe may have contributed to the accident.
Work Safety Commissioner Mark McCabe said prohibition notices were slapped on the site to prevent any further work on the dangerous scaffolding.
‘‘There were some faults we believe... it wasn’t in the right position,’’ Mr McCabe said.
‘‘So we’ve asked that it be fixed, which means they’ll have to take it down and reassemble it.’’ he said.
The incident comes after Saturday’s fatal accident on a Kingston Foreshore site.
That accident saw concreter Ben Catanzariti, 21, killed when he was struck by a 39 metre boom. His death was the fourth in Canberra since December.
Mr McCabe said the two incidents were unrelated.
Today’s incident will be investigated further by WorkSafe ACT.
Attorney-General Simon Corbell this week launched a major investigation into the practices of the construction industry, amid concerns that companies may be trading off the safety of workers for profit.