For the latest update on OHS News and information from across Australia.

OHS News - May 2013

Apprentice Worker Electrocuted at School Campus

10:59 am, Thursday 13 December, 2012

smaller qld imagesAn accident that took the life of a 20-year-old worker yesterday morning is under investigation by Workplace Health and Safety Officers.

The apprentice electrician was working inside the ceiling of the student services building at a school campus when he apparently came into contact with live wires. The accident happened at about 8.10am.

Neil Noble, the Queensland Ambulance Service operations manager said that the staff at the school tried to resuscitate him as they waited for paramedics to arrive at the scene.

They performed CPR whilst he was inside the ceiling and then brought him down for the paramedics. On arrival the ambulance officers worked to revive him for 30 minutes but were unable to.

A spokesperson from the Department of Justice said that inspectors from Electrical Safety Office and Workplace Health and Safety are investigating the incident to ascertain whether there were any safety breaches committed by the employer.

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Tradesman Receives Electric Shock in Perth CBD

10:27 pm, Saturday 20 October, 2012

A tradesman working in the basement of a St Georges Terrace building in the Perth CBD received an electric shock about 1.30 yesterday from a switchboard.

The man reportedly suffered minor burns to his arms and face and was transported to the Royal Perth Hospital in a stable condition.

Apparently a fire started as a result of the incident, which was quickly contained by the eight fire trucks, and crews that attended the scene.

A senior FESA officer investigating the fire estimated that the building had $80,000 worth of damages.

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Shocked worker saved by Gold Coast lifeguard

12:35 pm, Wednesday 7 March, 2012


The hero lifeguard Stuart Keay.
Photo: Brisbane Times

A construction worker was revived by a Gold Coast lifeguard after being shocked by 11000 volts of electricity on a building site on Tuesday.

Brisbane Times report that the lifeguard was patrolling Mermaid Beach when he was called to help the victim. “My friend who is a builder on the site ran down to me and said ‘come quick, one of the workers is dead from electrocution,” said 58-year old Veteran council lifeguard, Stuart Keay.

Mr Keay did not hesitate to run to the scene, where he found the worker unconscious.

“He was cyanosed, he was blue,” said Mr Keay.

The victim’s co-workers were resuscitating him when he arrived at the scene. Mr Keay used a defibrillator to revive the man.

“We started the heart massage again and we did that until the machine said ‘stand clear, shock’ advised.

“We shocked him again and then continued resuscitation and heart massage. I could feel a pulse but I waited to see what the machine said.

“It said, ‘no shock advised.’ I knew then that he had a strong pulse.

“We rolled him on his side and he actually started to breathe.”

The victim was brought to the Gold Coast Hospital in a stable condition.

The 30-year old worker was shocked when the concrete truck pump he was using came in contact with overhead power lines.

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