Gold Coast: Two people injured after workplace incident at Ashmore

A tradie severely injured in a horror workplace incident on the Gold Coast on Tuesday remains in critical condition in the burns unit of a Brisbane hospital.

Emergency services at the scene of the accident at a cafe in Ashmore. Picture: 7 News Gold Coast

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A tradie remains in a hospital burns unit after suffering “severe” injuries at a workplace incident on the Gold Coast.

James Badcock, 36, remains in the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition after suffering “flash burns” while working at Ashmore’s Pitstop shopping complex on Tuesday.

A second man, also injured, has since been released from Gold Coast University Hospital.

It’s understood the men were installing solar panels at the complex when the injuries occurred.

Workplace Health and Safety is investigating.

Workplace Health and Safety officers are investigating the incident. Picture: Scott Powick.

Posting on Facebook, Renee Agnew said her son was getting a haircut at the centre’s barber shop when the incident happened.

“One guys (sic) clothes were blown off him, he was burnt all over,” she wrote.

“The other guys face was burnt off, so friggen scary. I was in shock witnessing this terrible accident. The sound of the explosion was so loud! God help these poor young men.”

#Update - One patient was transported serious to Gold Coast University Hospital and another in a critical condition to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital following earlier workplace incident at #Ashmore

— Queensland Ambulance (@QldAmbulance) January 19, 2021

Police, paramedics, Energex and fire crews responded to the incident.

Senior operations supervisor Gold Coast Neil Stead, on Tuesday, said: “The incident involved two gentlemen who were working in the electricity room and the board either short-circuited or an incident occurred where … both people received flash burns.”

A third worker, who was on the roof, was uninjured.

Electrical Trades Union organiser Beau Malone said the union was keen to find out what had happened and was also looking to help the victims’ families.

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