Inpex worker has lucky escape after railing gives way at Bladin Point site

AN Inpex worker who slipped through scaffolding at the $34 billion construction site has been saved by colleagues

An aerial shot of INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG Project at Bladin Point.

AN Inpex worker who slipped through scaffolding at the $34 billion construction site has been saved by colleagues.

The NT News has learned the man was grabbed by workmates after a railing gave way 30m up on one of the cryogenic tanks.

He was not wearing a harness at the time. Harnesses are not required when railings are in place. Work was immediately suspended in the area.

The NT News has also learned of a major diesel spill at the main wharf at Bladin Point on the same day.

The events occurred a week apart.

Excavators are working at the site during low tide to clean up the diesel.

JKC Australia LNG project director, John Bramley, in confirming the incidents, said no one was injured. “JKC Australia LNG can confirm an incident involving a dislodged scaffold tube on the deck of a cryogenic storage tank at Bladin Point took place on Tuesday,” he said.

“Work in the area was immediately suspended following the incident as the scaffold structure was inspected and modified.

“Inspections of all scaffold structures of this type were subsequently carried out and during this time workers were temporarily reassigned to other areas of the project.

“ No-one was injured.

“An investigation is underway and NT WorkSafe and the relevant unions were notified. Safety is our number one value on the project.”

Mr Bramley said the diesel spill came from a generator.

It is understood up to 1500 litres had been released.

The incident occurred on November 14.

Mr Bramley said a specialist response team had been mobilised to minimise the spill.

“The clean-up is now at an advanced stage and initial data from monitoring indicates the team has been successful in containing the diesel, which has not spread to the surrounding environment.

“Relevant regulators have been advised by Inpex and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident.”

Safety on the project has been raised several times in the last 18 months.

In March last year unions organised a 500-strong rally raising concerns about safety standards on site.