Southern Steel QLD charged with safety failings after Mackay teen left paraplegic

A Queensland business has been accused of serious safety failings after a teen worker was paralysed and his twin brother injured by falling steel beams from a crane.

Christian and Ethan Desborough, 18, who were both injured in a workplace incident in September 2023. Picture: Supplied by Desborough family

A steel wholesale business has been accused of serious safety failings after a Mackay teen was left a paraplegic in a horror workplace incident.
Ethan Desborough, then 18, suffered the life-changing injury in 2023 when he was crushed under a load of heavy steel beams.

His twin brother Christian Desborough witnessed the incident and was also injured, to a much lesser extent, by the falling metal.

The pair worked for Southern Steel QLD’s Mackay branch in Paget

Court documents state on September 18 the brothers and another employee had been working in the warehouse on Maggiolo Dr and the other worker had been using a crane to move a load of 19 x 8 metre hollow section steel beams weighing about 1.4 tonnes.

Ethan Desborough had been walking on a walkway underneath the suspended load “when the load fell out of the sling and crushed (him) rendering him unconscious”, the documents said.

Ethan Desborough in hospital after the serious workplace incident at Paget. Picture: Supplied by Desborough family

“Ethan Desborough suffered hearing loss and a burst fracture of lumbar vertebra resulting in paraplegia,” it stated.

Christian was struck on the leg by the falling load suffering bruising.

Workplace Health and Safety prosecutor Simon Nicholson has alleged the work was hazardous and posed a health and safety risk to workers, namely “a person could be struck or crushed by loads of steel being hoisted or moved around the workplace resulting in death or serious injury”.

Heavy steel beams fell crushing him in September 2023. Picture: Supplied by Desborough family

Southern Steel QLD is charged with breaching its health and safety duty between August 13 and September 19 2023 by failing to implement various safety controls including establishing and enforcing exclusion zones for loading, movement and unloading steel.

It is further alleged the business failed to provide adequate worker inductions on safe operating procedures, adequate training and instruction including on how to safely operate the crane and adequate supervision of the tasks.

Ethan suffered hearing loss and a burst fracture of lumbar vertebra resulting in paraplegia. Picture: Supplied by Desborough family

Mr Nicholson also alleged Southern Steel did not have a procedure to document and audit employee training on the work, risks and controls.

“The (business’s) failure to implement one of more of the control exposed workers including Ethan Desborough and Christian Desborough to a risk of death of injury,” the document stated.

The matter was first mentioned earlier this month and has been adjourned to a date in September. No pleas have been entered.

A GoFundMe campaign launched when the incident occurred raised more than $11,000 to help the family with expenses.