Safety concerns dog Melbourne sky rail construction

MELBOURNE’S controversial sky rail project was plagued with unsafe practices and construction that left workers injured and sites shut down.

THE controversial sky rail project was plagued with unsafe practices and construction that left workers injured and sites shut down.

Reports by WorkSafe Victoria reveal the long list of dangerous building mishaps between June 2016 to May this year while work was done to remove level crossings on busy roads in Melbourne’s east.

They include:

CONSTRUCTION material falling onto live train tracks during morning peak hour;

SEVERAL “serious near miss” incidents involving large trucks and heavy machinery;

A TRAFFIC controller hit by a car and with “no area” to retreat to due to a barrier; and

LOOSE timber falling in the “immediate vicinity” of workers.

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A new 3.2km stretch of elevated rail opened for passengers in June between Caulfield and Hughesdale. Picture: David Caird

Carnegie, Noble Park, Murrumbeena, Hughesdale and Clayton South stations were inspected over safety concerns raised in almost 50 reports over the two-year period.

The reports, released under Freedom of Information laws, show a worker narrowly avoided being hit by the mast of a piling rig that fell at Carnegie station in March last year.

Months earlier, a worker was hit by dirt dumped during the “uncontrolled release” of a piling rig at the same location.

WorkSafe Victoria issued penalties over the incident, which went unreported for a month.

Level Crossing Removal Authority Project director Brett Summers said the project had “strong safety processes” and routinely requested WorkSafe inspections.

A new 3.2km stretch of elevated rail opened for passengers in June between Caulfield and Hughesdale. Picture: David Caird

“We work alongside WorkSafe to help us keep our workers safe and to constantly improve,” he said.

“The safety of our people is paramount — as such LXRA requires all of its contractors to carry out rigorous reporting of every single incident and thorough investigations of any incidents.”

Other incidents include three workers being “overcome” by fumes, building material falling near workers, unsafe use of scaffolding, trip hazards and lighting concerns.

The report also reveals police were required to escort CFMEU representatives from Murrumbeena station after a dispute about lighting in March last year.

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