WorkCover NSW is investigating after a 41 year old male worker died at a glass warehouse and wholesaler in Sydney.
The incident took place at Condell Park on Wednesday afternoon.
Initial enquiries indicate that the worker was loading a stack of approximately 40 1.8m x 2.4m glass sheets from a transporter box onto a glass delivery truck when the glass fell and crushed him against the bull bar of the vehicle, causing fatal injuries.
Colleagues are reported to have tried to move the glass panels off the man using chains attached to an overhead pendant-operated traveller crane but were unsuccessful.
A WorkCover inspector attended the incident on Wednesday evening and commenced an investigation. WorkCover investigators have returned to the site today to continue their enquiries.
General Manager of WorkCover’s Work Health and Safety Division, John Watson, said the incident was a tragic reminder of the risks associated with the storage and handling of glass.
“Under occupational health and safety legislation, employers must have controls in place to eliminate or minimise the risks of workers being injured,” Watson said.
“This includes safe works systems for the storage and handling of glass sheets to prevent them from falling and that adequate training and supervision for workers in the safe handling and movement of glass.
“WorkCover has commenced a comprehensive investigation into the incident to determine whether adequate controls were in place to eliminate or minimise the risk of injury and whether safe work systems were being implemented.
“One workplace fatality is too many and tragically, this worker won’t be returning home to his family.”
At the conclusion of its investigation WorkCover will prepare a report for the Coroner.
Further information on the storage and handling of glass is available on the WorkCover website www.workcover.nsw.gov.au
