New RAH worksite victim Jorge Castillo-Riffo’s partner seeks answers two years on

TWO years after her partner was crushed to death in a workplace incident at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site, an angry and frustrated Pam Gurner-Hall is still waiting for answers.

Pam Gurner-Hall at the memorial dedicated to her long-term partner Jorge Castillo-Riffo, who died after a workplace incident on the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site two years ago. Photo: Tait Schmaal.

TWO years after her partner was crushed to death in a workplace incident at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site, an angry and frustrated Pam Gurner-Hall is still waiting for answers.

She will return to the memorial site on Monday to commemorate the death of her long-term partner Jorge Castillo-Riffo, who was working on a scissor lift at the site when he was crushed against concrete, suffering fatal injuries on November 27, 2014.

He died in hospital the next day.

Ms Gurner-Hall said the lives of other workers who use elevated work platforms remain at risk the longer an inquest into Mr Castillo-Riffo’s death is delayed.

“The longer that is strung out, the more at risk other people become,” she said.

“It’s about legacy ... some sort of change that ensures other people don’t die in this type of incident and other families don’t go through all of this.”

Jorge Castillo-Riffo who died while using a scissor lifter on the new RAH site two years ago, with his partner Pamela Gurner-Hall.

Fifteen months after Mr Castillo-Riffo died, fellow new RAH construction worker Steve Wyatt, 63, was killed after being crushed between a scissor lift and the head of a low doorway while supervising the fitout.

Ms Gurner-Hall said any decision on whether an inquest into Mr Castillo-Riffo’s death could be heard cannot be made until the case against the site’s contractors has been finalised in the Industrial Court.

In July, the contractors responsible for the site, Hansen Yuncken Leighton Contractors and subcontractor SRG Building (Southern) pleaded not guilty in the Industrial Court to multiple alleged health and safety breaches surrounding Mr Castillo-Riffo’s death.

The matter is expected to return to court for a 10-day trial in February 2017.

“The longer it takes the more difficult is for me, the less resolve there is,” Ms Gurner-Hall said.

“All of the power is already with the company, and here is the worker on the other end of it with no voice whatsoever.

“I don’t want this incident to just be brushed under the carpet.”

She hopes an inquest will allow Mr Castillo-Riffo’s story to be heard, improve scissor lift safety and uncover why he was not found for almost half an hour after he was injured.

“The fact that he was there for 25-30 minutes on a site with so many people, that just slays me,” she said.

“Here we are 24 months, two years, down the track and absolutely nothing has been resolved. His story has not been heard. The forum has not been there to have his story told.”

Ms Gurner-Hall is also reigniting the “boots out for Jorge” social media campaign which encourages people to put their workboots out to honour those who die at work using “#PutYourBootsOut”.

A service for family, friends, union representatives and workers to honour Mr Castillo-Riffo begins at the new RAH site at 7am Monday.