Father calls for a coronial inquest into son's death

BY RACHEL STORER

Tim Macpherson, beloved son and father. (Facebook)

The heartbroken father of the Hunter man who was killed during construction of the Barangaroo Ferry Hub said he never expected to bury his son and is now calling for an inquiry.

Tim Macpherson was tragically crushed by a falling steel beam in March and never went home to his wife Ashleigh, son Jack and his unborn daughter.

His father Iain Macpherson is now calling for a coronial inquest into his death and has the backing of the MUA and NSW Senator Doug Cameron.

Mr Macpherson said there were several safety issues on the barge Tim was working on including cluttered work spaces and piles of building materials restricting access on deck.

He was told by another worker who escaped the beam that "Timmy had no where to go mate... no where to go," because of the clutter.

He also claims the barge itself shouldn't have been in operation in the first place as it didn't pass initial safety tests.

Construction of the Barangaroo Ferry Hub where Tim was killed. (ABC)

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) claims the state government's ferry wharf which opened in June is riddled with safety concerns including overheating black paint on surfaces and metal gates that are too heavy for staff.

Mr Macpherson received only one letter of condolence from the NSW government and asked if their "high quality transport infrastructure" is worth losing lives for.

"The state government were beating their chest about the great thing it was to have a project moving forward on time.

"Whatever the dollar cost, there are people who go home to their families in wheelchairs or didn't go home at all just to see that 'marvelous' edifice built," Mr Macpherson said.

Mr Macpherson wants to ensure his daughter-in-law is properly looked after and has praised the CMFEU and MUA for their help lobbying for the inquest.

He said he also hopes parents tell their children that no job is worth the money if the risks are too high.

Answers needed on Barangaroo construction death

BY JARROD MELMETH

A phone call with the father of Tim Mcpherson who was killed on a construction site at Sydney's Barangaroo has prompted Labor Senator Doug Cameron to call for a coronial inquest into the workers' death.

The 32-year-old Maitland man was crushed and instantly killed by an unsecured large metal beam which was being transported on a barge near one of the city's main area of water traffic.

It has been reported that the Maritime Union of Australia was blocked access from conducting a safety inspection after safety concerns were raised at the construction site where Mr Macpherson was tragically killed.

The barge on which Mr Mcpherson was working at the time had been issued with a prohibition notice 10 months before the incident, after operating at Barangaroo without a certificate of survey, which shows that a vessel has been surveyed and meets the standards for construction stability and safety equipment.

The vessel - owned by Brady Marine & Civil -  was issued with a temporary exemption which, under the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012 vessels are exempt, if the vessel has had previous certificates which were not revoked or suspended; an application for a certificate of survey has been made; an accredited marine surveyor has surveyed the vessel within 60 days before or after the certificate of survey ceased to be in force; and compliance with construction and equipment standards that apply to the vessel have been considered

Mr Cameron said there are too many questions surrounding an entirely avoidable tragedy.

"Why was this barge allowed to sail from Brisbane to Sydney when it obviously did not comply with Australian Maritime Safety Authority requirements.

"Why was the barge allowed to operate for months without proper certification?

"And again, why was it issued with a temporary compliance that obviously was not up to scratch?

"These are the questions that must be answered and I just think a coronial inquiry is the way to go to get to the bottom of this.

"The basic safety breaches were clear and any building and construction site around the country in that condition should be shut down," Mr Cameron said.

Interview with Doug Cameron here: 

Tim Mcpherson and Labor Senator Doug Cameron.

Newcastle Man Killed At Sydney Work Site

BY IAN CROUCH

The death of a Newcastle construction worker at a Sydney work site has raised safety concerns.

Tim Macpherson was working as a rigger on barge being used in the construction of a new ferry wharf at Barangaroo on Wednesday when he was struck and killed by a 3 tonne steel beam which fell on him.

He leaves behind a 14-month old son and his pregnant partner.

SafeWork NSW is investigating the death, however the Construction Union says it's concerned about whether the work was being carried out correctly, describing the tragedy as a case of industrial manslaughter.