Buried alive: Firefighters rescue man trapped under silo

A man had to be pulled from under four tonnes of sawdust and wood chips beneath a silo today in a worksite incident.

Firefighters have rescued a man in his 50s in Kensington after an incident left him buried under four tonnes of sawdust and wood chips.

The man was working in an enclosed area along Arden Street below the silo when a chute opened, spilling four tonnes of sawdust and wood chips into the area, completely burying the man.

Commander of the fire brigade in Central District, Graeme O’Sullivan, said the man was lucky not to have suffocated.

“The main risk was the respiratory danger, because the material was so fine,” he said.

Other workers on site were quick to call triple-0 and 24 firefighters responded.

Initially it was believed the man was trapped inside the silo itself.

High Angle Rescue Techniques specialists were part of the response.

A special breathing apparatus mask was placed on the man before freeing him, to prevent further inhalation of potentially dangerous particles.

The man was transferred to Ambulance Victoria paramedics who transported him to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition with no obvious injuries.

Mr O’Sullivan said he expected that the man could be in hospital for a couple of weeks due to the material inhaled.

FRV worked alongside Victoria Police and WorkSafe at the scene.

A worksafe spokesman said they were making inquiries.