Tradie who fell 12m named as video shows tradie in perilous position
Cross River Rail: Worker left fighting for life after plunging 12m at a construction site is named as shocking video shows a tradie in a perilous position
- Tradie in critical condition in hospital after 12m fall
- Union says project has ‘serious safety problems’
A worker fighting for life after falling 12metres[3] has been identified, as a shocking video emerges showing a tradie in a perilous position at the same construction site.
Nation ‘Nash’ Kouka, 54, is in a critical condition in hospital after falling at the Boggo Road Cross River Rail station construction site in Brisbane[4].
He was standing on a platform about 1.15 pm on Tuesday with colleagues who watched helplessly as he fell, hitting multiple obstacles before landing on concrete.
Mr Kouka’s son was also working at the site, which is part of a $6.3billion project, when the incident happened.
But the CFMEU construction union claimed the project has a history of ‘serious safety problems’, as a video emerged showing a man not wearing a safety harness walking across a very narrow piece of wood, about 15metres off the ground.
Nation ‘Nash’ Kouka (pictured), 54, who is in a critical condition in hospital, was named as the man who fell at the Boggo Road Cross River Rail station construction site in Brisbane
In the post accompanying the video shot earlier this year, the union wrote: ‘may help explain why (construction company) CPB are so keen to keep this job out of the public eye’.
The CFMEU also said the man who filmed the video complained ‘and was immediately shifted off that site’.
The union’s national secretary Zach Smith said hundreds of tradies had stopped work at the site of Mr Kouka’s fall, with the strike expected to continue until Monday.
‘Our members are withdrawing their labour in response to this terrible incident, which has come after a litany of serious safety problems with Cross River Rail,’ Mr Smith said.
The CFMEU construction union claimed the project has a history of ‘serious safety problems’, as a video emerged showing a man (pictured) not wearing a safety harness walking across a very narrow piece of wood, about 15metres off the ground
Hundreds of CFMEU members (pictured) stopped work immediately after the incident
‘Regulators have issued more than 300 safety notices at this site. Our entire union’s thoughts are with the worker and his family.
‘Incidents like this send a ripple of devastation across the entire construction industry.’
Mr Smith called for a full safety audit of the Cross River Rail project to prevent future ‘life-threatening mismanagement’.
‘There must be urgent action to fix the absolutely disgraceful and toxic culture surrounding this project,’ he said.
‘That awful record tells you everything you need to know about the appalling safety conditions we’re talking about.
‘On top of that, parts of this project are two years behind.’
Emergency service vehicles are pictured at the scene of the incident on Tuesday
The union said ‘Regulators have issued more than 300 safety notices at this site’ (pictured)
It’s understood negotiations are underway following the protest in which hundreds of workers walked through Brisbane CBD calling for better safety measures across the Cross River Rail project.
Queensland’s Roads Minister Mark Bailey said he met with contractors at the Boggo Road site on Wednesday.
‘It’s inherent on not just the Delivery Authority but the contractors to keep working hard on safety,’ he said.
‘The key thing here is working with the union representatives and the workers to ensure everybody gets on the same page as the safety audit, the safety reset, what that involves and what reforms are needed to improve safety.’
Mr Bailey said he is yet to speak to Mr Kouka’s family or his colleagues.
‘The son was on site, that adds another level of stress and trauma in this situation,’ he said.
‘I don’t want to bother them while they (are at the hospital). I’m certainly keen to talk to workers involved at an appropriate time.’
Queensland Police Inspector Andrew Tracey said Mr Kouka had fallen ‘quite a distance’ and sustained serious injuries.
‘There were a number of obstacles he struck on the fall, that’s all being investigated (about) how far (he fell) at the moment,’ Mr Tracey said on Tuesday.
Emergency crews required heavy machinery to get to Mr Kouka safely.
‘My understanding is Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Fire and Emergency Service used a crane and a cage to get down safely and bring him out of that area,’ Mr Tracey said.
‘It’s very distressing for all his colleagues and especially his family. No one expects to come to work and end up in hospital before they get home in the afternoon.
‘They’re all rallying together and trying to get through this.’
The Cross River Rail project (pictured) could now face significant delays following the workplace incident
The Queensland government project could now face significant delays following the workplace incident.
A Cross River Rail spokesman said investigations into safety protocols were underway.
‘Our thoughts are with the worker, his family and his colleagues, and psychology services have been deployed to site to assist,’ a statement read.
‘The delivery authority and our major contractors take safety extremely seriously and the exact cause and details of the incident are under investigation.’
References
- ^ Padraig Collins For Daily Mail Australia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Aisling Brennan For Nca Newswire (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ falling 12metres (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Brisbane (www.dailymail.co.uk)