05:09 pm, Friday 1 December, 2006

Article from: AAP

TWO builders were seriously injured when steel beams fell on them at a central Sydney building site today.

Three steel beams weighing 340kg each fell 5m onto the men at the Oxford St site about 11am, the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) said.

The men, aged 20 and 44, had spinal, head and neck injuries, as well as suspected rib, leg and hand fractures, the CFMEU said.

The union said the accident happened just days after it was denied entry to the site and its officials were racially abused while trying to investigate alleged safety breaches.

CFMEU officials visited the site in Darlinghurst after complaints from workers.

The union said its officials were refused entry by the builder, ICMG, and by inspectors from the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC).

Comment is being sought from ICMG.

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04:35 pm, Friday 1 December, 2006

Article from: AAP

A REGIONAL airline involved in one of Australia’s worst plane crashes could face criminal charges for allegedly failing to report safety incidents.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said today it had referred Transair to the federal Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) after receiving evidence alleging its parent company Lessbrook Pty Ltd failed to report 25 potentially dangerous incidents.

“Legislation requires various incidents to be reported and as such we have referred the matter to the Department of Public Prosecution for consideration,” deputy director of aviation safety investigation Julian Walsh said.

The move comes just days after the Brisbane-based airline was grounded by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, which said it had serious concerns about its flight operations.

A Transair commuter plane crashed in May, 2005, near Lockhart River in far north Queensland, killing all 15 people on board.

Mr Walsh said the 25 alleged incidents happened between 2003 and 2005.

The alleged safety problems include gear failure on take-off from Bamaga on the Cape York Peninsula, a cabin pressurisation warning near Cairns, a burning smell near Inverell in NSW and a problem with flaps on a flight from Gunnedah to Sydney.

The ATSB is now preparing a brief of evidence and is expected to present it to the DPP in the next few weeks.

Mr Walsh said it would then wait for the DPP to advise them and what should happen next.

Comment was being sought from Transair.

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12:00 am, Friday 1 December, 2006

A 19-year-old man who had both of his legs amputated in an industrial accident near Bunbury last week remains in a stable condition in hospital.

The man climbed into a masonry cutting machine at Lido Limestone at Picton last Tuesday.

He was flown to Royal Perth Hospital, where surgeons managed to reattach one of his legs.

A hospital spokeswoman says his condition is continuing to improve.

WorkSafe WA says its inspectors are yet to interview the man, but are continuing to inspect the machine at the work site.

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