02:16 pm, Tuesday 24 February, 2009
Source: The Herald Sun
A worker who survived a horror Four-storey fall as Scaffolding Collapsed escaped with a fractured finger, cuts and scrapes.
Another worker also rode the falling Metal four floors to the street as the six-storeys of scaffold fell about 9.50am today along busy Commercial Rd, Prahran, bringing down power lines and triggering traffic mayhem.
Another man suffered chest injuries as the scaffold collapsed.
While initially it was feared several workers were trapped in debris opposite the Prahran Market, emergency workers confirmed there were no serious injuries.
The survival of the two workers who subcontract for the Asia Pacific Building Corporation - which is building the Prahran apartment block and boutique hotel - has been described as “miraculous” by paramedics at the scene.
The two men and a third colleague all escaped with minor injuries when the scaffolding collapsed on Commercial Rd about 9.50am.
A large crew of paramedics rushed to the scene from The Alfred, Cabrini and from Richmond, the CBD and West Melbourne.
Six shops on Commercial Rd’s eastern side, between Cato and Balmoral streets, were also evacuated.
Intensive care paramedic Rowan Harman arrived on the chaotic scene in six minutes.
He was surprised to find one worker that had fallen four floors, suffered only minor injuries.
“A 28-year-old man suffered a fracture to a finger, and cuts and abrasions.”
Another 24-year-old man fell two floors and was left trapped and hanging upside down by his legs. He suffered neck, arm and leg injuries, and was freed by workmates.
A 52-year-old man suffered chest injuries as he fell one floor, Mr Harman said.
All men were fitted with neck braces as a precaution against spinal injuries and were taken to the Alfred Hospital in a stable condition.
Ambulance spokesman Paul Holman said up to 50 workers on the site escaped the carnage due to a well-timed morning tea break.
“Given two rode the scaffolding down from the fourth floor, and one jumped off at the third floor, if not for the morning tea break, it could have been tragic.”
Police spokeswoman Alison Noonan said one man was bleeding from the head.
Marcus Greening, who was working on a site down the street from the collapse, said he heard a crash so loud he thought there’d been a major incident on his own site.
“I walked outside and the whole top four storeys of scaffolding had come down,” he said. “People were running.
“There was a man crushed under some brick, he was screaming. Two of his workmates pulled him out and were holding his hand.
“He was covered in blood.”
John Mitrokli, an electrician who was working on a site across the road from the incident, said he heard a massive bang.
“It must have been the mains falling out, I saw the power lines on the floor,” he said.
“Bricks were down on a guy, he was pulled out by his mates.
“The emergency services were there within seconds, they were really quick.”
About six cars on the street below were crushed, including a Mercedes convertible and a white van.
A key tenant of the new project at 160-162 Commercial Rd was to be office furniture maker Michael Schiavello.
The $45 million project was being billed as a luxury hotel with 80 apartments over four levels, as well as nine retail outlets and a 40-spot carpark.
But the company said it would not be commenting on the collapse until later in the day.
A woman at the office confirmed it was involved in the project, “but so are many others”.
In a written statement this afternoon from Asian Pacific Building Corporation, a company spokesman said it was “relieved only minor injuries were sustained by three sub-contractors at the company’s hotel development”.
He said the Scaffold had “collapsed suddenly and without explanation”, but that all workers had been accounted for.
Asia Pacific was also working with authorities and launched its own investigation.
More than 50 workers are employed on the site.
MFB Commander Wayne Garrad said crews initially feared the worst.
“Our first thought were that some workers may have been trapped. It’s very incredible that at this time of day, in this location, that no-one has been extremely hurt,” Mr Garrad said.
“We were lucky to get most of the workers out of the building,” he said.
Several buildings on the eastern side of Commercial Rd were evacuated during the emergency.
Witnesses stunned
Witnesses said a sound like a “huge gang of Harley-Davidsons” alerted them to the collapse which crushed a sidewalk hoarding and spilled across Commercial Rd.
Geelong man Cam Ward, who works opposite the site, said the scaffolding covered the 50-metre wide site of the hotel.
“It crushed three cars, including a Mercedes convertible,” he said.
“The construction workers were the first on the scene, calling out through the rubble for any injured people,” he said.
“The sound as it came down was like a huge gang of Harley-Davidsons.”
Elderly shopper Francis Cassar, 75, of Windsor was still shaking an hour after the collapse.
“I was just shopping in the Prahran market and I was crossing the road when it happened. I just turned my face the other way. I feared for my life.
“I didn’t know if there was anybody buried under there. I saw a white van that was crushed, but I couldn’t do anything to help.”
Yarra Trams spokesman Colin Tyrus said the collapse bought down overhead tram lines along Commercial Rd.
He said trams on the route 72 line were not running between St Kilda and Glenferrie Rds and he advised passengers to take either a route 6 tram along High St or route 8 tram along Toorak Rd.
“We have to wait until all the scaffolding is clear before we can get in there and assess the damage and start repairing the lines,” he said.
Worksafe Victoria will investigate as to what Scaffolding Safe Work Method Statements were in place and if the Scaffolding Was Erected Correctly.
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