In a spectacular workplace accident at a University of Technology Sydney (UTS) construction site on November 27, an intense fire broke out in the cabin of a crane before the arm collapsed onto scaffolding below. No one was injured, but hundreds of people were evacuated from nearby office buildings.
The incident took place next to Broadway, one of Sydney鈥檚 busiest roads. The November 28 Sydney Morning Herald reported that the crane鈥檚 driver swung the arm away from the street before escaping from the fire.
It is believed the fire was started from leaking diesel fuel.
The SMH that 鈥渦nion officials did a full inspection of the site about two weeks ago and closed it down for four days鈥. Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) state secretary Brian Parker told the paper: 鈥淲e brought up issues about leaking diesel on the crane ...
"We said to them that a maintenance regime has to take place immediately on the crane.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 obvious to us that it鈥檚 failed to be done and we鈥檝e had a situation where it鈥檚 put hundreds of lives at risk.鈥
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has .
Simon Wade, president of the UTS NTEU branch, said: 鈥淭he fire and subsequent collapse of the crane endangered the lives of many building workers, firefighters, university staff and students, and the general public. This is a major incident and it requires a full open public inquiry to identify the cause of the incident and prevent it from ever happening again.
鈥淥ur union, like others, has been concerned to learn that Lend Lease, which is responsible for the construction site, may have failed to prioritise safety.鈥
The CFMEU has raised concerns that . The union says the company is 鈥渞efusing to hold meaningful safety talks with the construction union over emergency evacuation plans following a near catastrophic accident last week鈥.
CFMEU NSW president Rita Mallia said: 鈥淒oes Lend Lease need a worker or member of the public to be killed before it will start to take safety seriously?
鈥淭he CFMEU has simply asked Lend Lease to sit down and implement some safety measures for the workers over summer and it has turned its back on them. Workers are angry and believe the company is treating them with contempt.鈥