CFMEU claims safety concerns raised by staff before fatal West End wall collapse
Workers raised safety concerns about a retaining wall weeks before it collapsed and killed a man at a non-union West End construction site, the CFMEU claims.
The worksite where a man was crushed to death and his stepson injured after a wall collapsed had already been the subject of safety concerns flagged by staff, the CFMEU has claimed.
Kimura (Kim) Dixon, 45, was killed and his stepson Lucas (Rama) Pert, 19, was trapped under concrete for more than an hour as six workers and police worked to lift concrete off his body following the collapse at the worksite in West End on Tuesday.
Messages seen by The Courier-Mail show staff on the project expressing their concerns about the retaining walls.
CFMEU Queensland executive officer Jared Abbott said the union had been investigating the incident as well as assisting members and workers.
“We have uncovered multiple cases of workers raising safety concerns about the structural integrity of the retaining wall that collapsed on Monday, killing one worker and seriously injuring another,” he said.
“Some of these concerns were raised weeks before the collapse, with some workers refusing to work on the site due to unsafe conditions.
“This fatal incident occurred at a non-union site funded by the Queensland Government.”
He said the CFMEU was saddened by the tragic incident which claimed the life of one worker and left another with serious injuries.
“The Union sends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of those affected,” he said.
A spokesman from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said they responded to the incident on December 2.
“WHSQ has not been notified of any other incidents relating to this site in West End,” he said.
“As the investigation is ongoing, no further comment can be made at this time.”
The construction company in charge of the worksite K2 Projects – which is known for luxury apartments and homes – declined to comment.
The latest update comes after Mr Dixon’s partner and Rama’s mother Katarina Bell told The Courier Mail earlier this week that she was working on the Gold Coast when she got a call there had been an accident and her son was still trapped.
“We rushed straight back down. And just came straight to the hospital,” Ms Bell said.
“We made it here and my son had not long gotten here. When we got the call, he was still pinned under the metal or whatever it was. And it took like a good hour for them, or however long it was to get him out.
“It just felt like everyone on the highway just decided to go slow,” she said.
Ms Bell said it had been a hard time for the family – losing her partner and almost losing her son who is still in hospital with fractures on his face and skull and the possibility of needing surgery on his eye socket.
“I’m torn between gratefulness and unbelievable sorrow, I almost did lose both of them,” she said.
