01:00 pm, Monday 30 July, 2007

AAP

A father watched in horror as a forklift truck fell on top of his son and fatally injured him in a tragic Rutherford accident – hours before the injured man was to celebrate his own son’s 21st birthday.

Ambulance officers from Rutherford kept the seriously injured man alive and he was flown to Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital.

He died there shortly after an operation.

The accident happened outside the Hunter Valley Tile Mart in Hinkler Avenue, Rutherford, shortly after noon on Saturday.

Police said the 48-year-old man from the Central Coast had been loading a forklift onto a truck when the heavy vehicle fell on top of him.

The matter was now being investigated by Workcover NSW.

Workers ran from the tile mart and from adjoining premises in Hinkler Avenue to help.

Some said their first thoughts were that the man’s injuries were so severe they thought he was dead.

“But the patient was breathing when we put the heart monitor on him – and he had a pulse and a heart rhythm,” an ambulance officer said.

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09:00 am, Monday 30 July, 2007

AAP

AN oil pipeline which ruptured in Brisbane’s south over the weekend, forcing the evacuation of 500 homes, has been described as an “environmental disaster waiting to happen”.

Santos Ltd has begun an investigation into the cause of the leak in part of the Moonie to Brisbane pipeline.

The company said today that about 205 cu m of crude oil and water had been removed from the site at Algester in Brisbane.

The pipeline had been shut down and a section isolated, with the majority of surface oil recovered and storm water drains cleaned, the company said.

Oil would be trucked while the pipeline was repaired.

“The production impact of the incident is not material for Santos,” the company said.

“Santos maintains appropriate insurance coverage for these types of incidents.”

Residents were allowed to return to their homes on Saturday evening, and the clean-up is being overseen by the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency.

Ipswich City Council’s environment spokesman Paul Tully called for the pipeline to be moved away from residential areas between Ipswich and Brisbane.

“It’s an environmental disaster waiting to happen,” he said.

The pipeline was built in 1964 and runs 300km from Moonie, in the state’s south, past Toowoomba and through Ipswich and Brisbane’s southern suburbs to oil refineries in Brisbane’s east.

In March 2003 a leak from the same pipeline resulted in about two million litres of oil spilling into the Brisbane River.

“It’s failed twice in four years and the company has apparently done nothing to fix the problem,” Mr Tully said.

“Residents should not have to put up with this any longer.”

Mr Tully accused Santos of failing to properly maintain the pipeline.

“I recently wrote to Santos on behalf of a Bellbird Park resident concerned about the pipeline and all I received was a reply blaming everyone but themselves for running a pipeline through a residential area,” he said.

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08:00 am, Friday 27 July, 2007

AAP

ANOTHER 12 female employees from a Sydney hospital have been found to have breast cancer, bringing the current toll to 17 with more cases expected to be revealed.

Health Services Union spokesman Gerald Hayes told Fairfax newspapers the latest cases reported to him were past and present employees of the hospital’s food services department.

A spokeswoman for Concord Hospital, in Sydney’s west, said she expected to see “many more cases across the hospital”.

“It is important to remember that breast cancer is a relatively common disease and will affect one in eight women in their lifetime,” she told Fairfax.

“Therefore we expect to see many more cases across the hospital as there are approximately 1800 women working there at the moment.

“And there is likely to be many more who have worked there over the study period of 1998 to 2007.”

A formal investigation into a possible cancer cluster at the hospital began last week after five other women, who worked closely together, were diagnosed with breast cancer.

The union has written to WorkCover, seeking a full investigation, Mr Hayes said.

“We’re certainly more concerned now than we were,” he told Fairfax.

At a meeting of 80 union members on Tuesday, a resolution was moved demanding the Sydney South West Area Health Service pay for all female employees to have mammograms.

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12:00 am, Wednesday 25 July, 2007

AAP

Mr Parker said the asbestos was detected on Monday but the builder failed to get a licensed hygienist to assess the contamination and determine safe ways to remove it.

Workers and members of the public passing by the site had been exposed to the risk until WorkCover shut down the site on Wednesday, he said.

“The lives of building workers and members of the community who access the library have been put at risk because the builder … breached basic health and safety laws,” Mr Parker said.

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06:00 pm, Monday 23 July, 2007

A PERTH man was crushed to death today by a construction site shed that he was moving with a mini-digger transporter.

Worksafe, Western Australia’s work safety watchdog, is investigating the 43-year-old man’s death at Kelmscott in Perth’s east this morning (WST).

The man had picked up the shed with the mini-digger and was reversing when the digger overturned and the shed fell on him, Worksafe said.

Worksafe was to interview witnesses.

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09:45 am, Sunday 22 July, 2007

AAP

Kidnapped Australian oil worker Jason Lane has been released alive but sick after a “horrific” ordeal at the hands of militant rebels in the Niger Delta.

The Queenslander was released overnight along with his four co-workers, a week after they were kidnapped from an Anglo-Dutch Shell oil rig.

His father Brian Lane says his son told him in a phone conversation shortly after his release he had contracted malaria during the ordeal.

“He’s a little bit worse for the wear, he said it wasn’t a picnic, he said it was the most horrific thing he’d ever been through,” he told ABC radio.

Though the phone call was brief, Mr Lane says it was a welcome relief to speak to his son after a week spent on tenterhooks.

“What did I say? I said ‘Thank Christ for that! Hope you’re all right’. He just went through a few formalities, not very much, of what had happened.

“It was only about three or four minutes of speaking but it was a good three or four minutes.”

Mr Lane and his co-workers, employees of Lone Star Drilling Company, were abducted by gunmen as they were working on the Shell oil exploration platform last Wednesday.

Militants have kidnapped about 200 foreigners, mostly oil workers, in the region since the beginning of 2006.

A ransom is generally demanded for their release but it is unclear if any money was paid in exchange for the release of the five.

The men declined to speak to journalists in Nigeria but they have reportedly told the Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva in a brief meeting that they were going back to their countries immediately.

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09:00 am, Friday 20 July, 2007

Worksafe Vic

WorkSafe said that today’s decision in the County Court, resulting in a $150,000 fine, was a warning to Victorian employers not to ignore safety concerns raised by their workers.

The County Court found the tree lopping company guilty of two breaches of theOccupational Health and Safety Act 1985.

The company was prosecuted after an incident in April 2004 involving a 63 year old female who was struck by a truck owned by the company whilst sitting on a bench outside the Eltham Post Office in Main Road Eltham. She subsequently died from her injuries.

The driver of the truck had two days prior to the incident notified the employer of concerns relating to the safety of the vehicle, specifically faulty brakes and indicators.

WorkSafe Executive Director John Merritt said the tragedy could have been avoided if the worker’s concerns had been addressed.

“A family has lost a loved one and the driver of the vehicle who did the right thing in raising safety issues has experienced something that no worker should have to experience”

Mr Merritt said that the new Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, introduced after the incident, had increased measures to make sure that when workers raise safety concerns employers act on them in a timely manner.

“Consultation in the workplace between workers and employers is not only the law, it also saves lives” Mr Merritt said.

The maximum penalty for breaches under the Occupational Healthy and Safety Act 2004is more than $990,000.

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01:21 pm, Wednesday 18 July, 2007

ABC News

A chemical spill yesterday in the centre of Bowen, in north Queensland, forced the evacuation of more than 12 shops.

Police say a small freight truck spilt five litres of formaldehyde after making a delivery just after 11:00am AEST.

Shops on Williams Street between Herbert and Gregory Streets were forced to shut for about two-and-a-half hours as emergency crews wearing protective suits worked to make the site safe.

The 35-year-old male driver of the truck and his 30-year-old female passenger were taken to Bowen Hospital to be treated for inhalation, but were released shortly after.

A 20-year-old female employed at a toy shop, where boxes were delivered, was also treated for chemical inhalation.

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07:04 am, Tuesday 17 July, 2007

A Rushworth man killed in a tractor accident on Saturday has been described as a generous man who would help anybody.

Ivan Madi, 62, was killed after the tractor he was driving rolled while it was pulling up trees on a property on Gunn Rd, near Cleary Lane, south-east of Rushworth.

Worksafe Victoria was notified and attended the scene after the accident occurred just after 2 pm on Saturday.

Mr Madi was born in Croatia and moved to Melbourne in 1970 before relocating to Rushworth about 15 years ago.

Mr Madi’s daughter Renata Madi, who cared for her father after he suffered a series of small strokes, said he lived for the land and loved his 40 ha hobby farm.

“He loved the land, loved the country,” Ms Madi said.

“He had pigs, cows, chooks and turkeys.”

Close friend Milos Vukcevic said the family had been rocked by the tragedy.

“He was a very good man, he would help any person, no matter what,” Mr Vukcevic said.

Mr Vukcevic said Mr Madi was survived by his wife Marija, two daughters and two granddaughters.

A report is being prepared for the coroner.

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07:39 am, Monday 16 July, 2007

AAP

Two rail workers were killed instantly when a coal train struck them as they worked along the rail line at Singleton in the NSW Hunter Valley before dawn.

Authorities say the dead men were wearing safety vests when they were hit by a northbound coal train about 5.50am (AEST), as they worked on the track at Singleton station.

The two men were signal technicians working for Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), which formerly was a commonwealth rail authority.

The ARTC notified Comcare, the federal workplace safety regulator, whose investigators were on the scene with NSW police.

“Comcare has commenced an investigation under the commonwealth Occupational Health and Safety Act,” a spokesman said.

“NSW police have control of the accident site and our investigators are on the scene.”

The spokesman said investigators had not yet determined what led to the men’s death.

“It’s far too early to talk about any specifics,” he said.

ARTC chief executive David Marchant said the two men appeared to have been walking along the railway line when they were struck by the train.

“Prior to this, the two technicians had been working on points at Singleton railway station,” he said.

Mr Marchant said the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) would also investigate.

The maximum civil penalty for a breach of occupational health and safety laws is $242,000 for a corporation while the maximum criminal penalty is $495,000.

Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile said the prayers of the federal government were with the families of the dead workers.

“We extended our sympathies and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the two men who have lost their lives and, obviously, we will be providing all the support and counselling necessary for the families,” Mr Vaile told reporters.

Mr Vaile, who is also the transport minister, said the ATSB was taking a “keen interest” in the accident.

“The direct jurisdiction for the investigation rests with the New South Wales Transport Safety Office, not withstanding that the line is actually operated and managed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation.”

The men have not yet been formally identified.

Train services have been cancelled in the region this morning to allow the investigation to proceed.

RailCorp said the tragic incident had forced the cancellation of the 6.21am, 8.51am and 10.10am services between Maitland and Muswellbrook.

A spokeswoman said more cancellations might follow.

“We’re trying to get buses at the moment … we’re just seeing how long it takes to clear track,” a spokeswoman said.

“Until emergency clears the line we can’t really run any trains.”

The town of Singleton is on the banks of the Hunter River, just over 200km north-west of Sydney.

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