Thursday 8 March 2018

Young man falls six metres in Steel River accident

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A man has been taken to the John Hunter Hospital after falling through a roof in the Steel River Industrial Estate.

Around 10:30 this morning, paramedics rushed to McIntosh Drive at Mayfield West to attend to a 19-year-old man who's believed to have fallen six metres during a workplace accident.

Inspector Jeffrey Atkins from NSW Ambulance attended the scene, and said the young man fell onto a metal beam before his co-workers used a forklift to lower him down three metres, where he was assessed by paramedics.

Inspector Atkins said paramedics arrived promptly, observing that the man had an open head wound and was unconscious.

"Paramedics were on scene in eight minutes, and four units attended the scene," he said, "including a Rapid Launch Trauma Coordinator unit and an Intensive Care Paramedic.

"Paramedics subsequently intubated the patient and provided him with advanced pain relief."

Jeffrey Atkins says it's lucky the man's colleagues were quick-thinking in using the forklift to allow accessibility for paramedics.

It's understood the sub-contractor was working on a fire-damaged roof at Benedict Recycling, which was scorched during a huge blaze in December last year which drew a significant response from emergency services.

SafeWork NSW have been alerted to the incident, and are expected to launch investigations.

Benedict Recycling at Mayfield West. Image: Google Maps.