Family of Steve Wyatt, who died at new RAH build site, demands coronial inquest

THE family of a grandfather killed in a workplace accident at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital has called for an urgent overhaul of construction site practices and an inquest into his death.

26/2/16 - Family of RAH construction site victim Steve Wyatt - COPY pic of Steve and Deb together during December of 2014

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THE family of a grandfather killed in a workplace accident at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital has called for an urgent overhaul of construction site practices and an inquest into his death.

Father-of-two Steve Wyatt, 63, died last Saturday after he was crushed between a scissor lift and the head of a low doorway while supervising the fitout of the North Tce project.

Speaking for the first time, his wife Deb and two children, Brett and Hayley, have called for an urgent overhaul of scissor lift usage and better construction site safety and expressed frustration at the lack of a coronial inquest.

“We can’t understand why there wasn’t an inquest,” Mrs Wyatt, 60, said from the family’s home at Wynn Vale.

“It should be automatic. If you have a plane crash or a car accident, you have an inquest. My husband’s death was a tragic accident that should never have happened.”

Hayley, 33, added: “It is frustrating this happened because I feel like if maybe there had been an inquiry it may have been prevented … that is why we are pushing for an inquest.”

Brett, 35, a landscaper who was injured by a scissor lift two years ago, said while safety had improved throughout his 15-year career “there is still room for improvement”.

“There should be more safety on these lifts because they are very dangerous,” he said.

The Wyatt family said that scissor lift safety measures could include new sensors, special shutdown switches, higher roll cages, more human spotters, dual controls and systems preventing movement while in use.

A scissor lift at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital building site. Picture: Sam Wundke

They have also paid fresh tribute to the renowned electrical engineer, who had 42 years’ experience and worked on several major projects, including Adelaide Airport.

The death of Mr Wyatt is the latest black mark against the $2 billion project and came just 15 months after a similar fatality on the site.

Jorge Castillo-Riffo, 54, was crushed and died while working on a scissor lift on November 27, 2014.

The Wyatt family has backed calls from the state’s construction union, Mr Castillo-Riffo’s partner, Pam Gurner-Hall, and the Opposition for a coronial inquest into both deaths.

They declined to comment on the precise details of how Mr Wyatt died, which is now the subject of separate SafeWork SA and police investigations. It is understood Mr Wyatt and the lift’s “devastated” driver had travelled underneath the doorway several times last Saturday before the accident. The driver is receiving counselling.

Workers walked off the job and scissor lifts have since been banned on the site.

SafeWork SA has laid health and safety charges in the Industrial Court against the project’s contractors, Hansen Yuncken Leighton Contractors Joint Venture, over Mr Castillo-Riffo’s death.

Under the Coroners Act, a coronial inquest cannot be conducted while criminal proceedings are under way.

Attorney-General John Rau said that the Coroner would be able to make a decision on any inquest into the “tragic circumstances” at the end of investigations.