Worker crushed to death at new Royal Adelaide Hospital

UPDATE: Health Minister Jack Snelling has expressed his sadness and “disbelief” at the death of a second worker — a 63-year-old man — at the new RAH site.

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HEALTH Minister Jack Snelling has expressed his sadness and “disbelief” at the death of a second worker in an industrial accident the new Royal Adelaide Hospital construction site.

Emergency services crews, SA Police detectives and SafeWork SA investigators were called to the scene, where the 63-year-old man died from his injuries at about 3.05pm on Saturday.

CFMEU state secretary Aaron Cartledge told The Advertiser the worker had died after he was crushed between a scissor lift and the head of a doorway.

Union officials said the tragedy had similarities with the death of Jorge Castillo-Riffo in November 2014.

Mr Castillo-Riffo, 54, died in hospital after he suffered serious head neck and back injuries at the worksite when he was crushed between a scissor lift and concrete slab.

Speaking on Sunday, Mr Snelling told reporters he had struggled to believe that such a tragedy could happen again.

“When I first heard the news, and first heard that it involved a scissor lift, there was certainly disbelief on my part that you could have two fatal accidents within almost 12 months of each other, both involving similar equipment,” Mr Snelling said.

“I’m very, very saddened by this shocking accident.

“My sympathies and prayers, and those of the government, go out to this man’s family and to his work colleagues. This is a terrible tragedy.”

Mr Snelling said he had not spoken to the man’s family but had sent his condolences through the union.

“I think this family just needs to be given some room to grieve,” he said.

Workers walked off the site while the death was investigated. They are expected to return on Monday morning.

Mr Carteledge described what he could of the incident.

“They were driving it through a doorway and the operator was driving in and there was another guy sitting in the chair it seems,” he said.

“As they’ve driven through the door it’s pinned him to the roof.

“I do know a fair bit of the detail of who it is but I can’t say until his family is informed.

“It’s a small industry in Adelaide and names ring a bell so it’s very tragic for everyone.”

A visibly upset man and woman, who are believed to have known the worker, approached the locked gates in tears about 4.30pm.

CFMEU assistant secretary Mick McDermott, who attended the scene, said the death was proof of the dangers in the construction industry.

“People die on building sites all the time. There have been seven or eight in Australia already this year and we are only halfway through February,” he said.

“It’s another fatality on a building site. It’s one too many. Every time this happens it’s one too many.”

Police, ambulance officers and site workers at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital following the accident on Saturday. Picture: Greg Higgs

The union officials said the tragedy had similarities with the death of Jorge Castillo-Riffo in November 2014.

Mr Castillo-Riffo, 54, died in hospital after he suffered serious head neck and back injuries at the worksite when he was crushed between a scissor lift and concrete slab.

His partner, Pam Gurner-Hall called for an inquest into the death of her partner of 14 years, saying she wanted the circumstances surrounding his death and safety standards in the construction industry, including the casualisation of the workforce and use of scissor lifts, thoroughly investigated.

On Saturday, she said she was “gutted” another death has occurred at the RAH site.

“I’ve been calling for 14 months for a coroner’s inquest into Jorge’s death just so something like this could be prevented,” a clearly distraught Ms Gurner-Hall said.

“Both these men should still be alive. They must change the rules for operating scissor lifts and enforce them because operators don’t do it themselves.

“There’s something very wrong on that site because how come these accidents don’t happen anywhere else?”

Jorge Castillo-Riffo was killed at the RAH building site in late 2014.

Ms Gurner-Hall said she felt deeply for the family of the dead man.

“I just feel for his mum and dad and wife and kids, if he had any, because I know what horror they are about to go through,” she added.

“Time has no meaning and life is just an empty space without Jorge. But I’ve already had a quiet word with him today to look out for this fellow when he gets there.”

Asked if a coronial inquest should be opened into Saturday’s death, Mr Snelling said it was too early to comment.

“It would be unwise at this early stage to jump to any conclusions,” he said.

“Let’s let Safework SA do their job and let the police do their job. I have complete confidence in them to properly investigate exactly what happened and why it happened and if there is any culpability on anyone’s part.

“If there’s more information we can make available we will.”

Following Mr Castillo-Riffo’s death, SafeWork SA laid charges against the contractors building the RAH — Hansen Yuncken, Leighton Contractors and Structural Systems (Southern) — alleging they failed to comply with health and safety regulations to provide a safe working environment.

The man’s death is the latest black mark against the $2 billion project, which has been plagued by delays and safety concerns.

Mr Snelling was asked whether delays in the project had put pressure on workers to speed up construction and if that could compromise safety.

“I’ve always made very, very clear that safety is our paramount concern,” he responded.

“Safety of course of patients who will come to the hospital but safety, as well, for the workers who are working on this site.”

Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade also sent his “thoughts and prayers” to the man’s family and workmates.

Mr Wade said the death would be reported to the coroner for consideration.

He suggested the coroner could conduct a joint inquest into both deaths at the new RAH site.

“The focus of the Coroner’s Act is very much on looking at what recommendations could be made to reduce the prospect of a similar death occurring in the future,” he said.

“Out of an abundance of caution, I think the community and workers would expect that Safework SA and the employer take every action possible now to make the site as safe as possible.”