A worker has been killed at a workplace after being hit by a concrete grate lifted by an excavator.
Emergency services were called to the Warwick Road exit of the Mitchell Freeway in Greenwood in Perth’s north about 11.50am on Thursday.
The man, 35, was taken to Royal Perth Hospital by St John WA paramedics with serious head injuries and died a short time later.
The southbound exit was closed until well into the afternoon as police launched an investigation to prepare a report for the coroner.
Footage from the scene shows police cordoning off the road and forensic investigators examining an excavator as the man’s shattered colleagues stood nearby.
WorkSafe confirmed it is also investigating the circumstances surrounding the death ‘with a view to ensuring compliance and preventing future incidents’.
A 35-year-old man has died on Perth’s Mitchell Highway after being struck by a concrete grate lifted during an excavation. In the photo workers are on site)
“The man is said to have been struck by a piece of equipment that fell,” a WorkSafe spokesperson said.
Commissioner Sally North called the incident a “tragedy” and offered her condolences to the man’s family and friends.
According to CFMEU Secretary of State Mick Buchan, the tragedy has brought the construction site death toll in WA this year to 10.
He also expressed the union’s condolences to the employee’s family and announced an investigation into the matter.
The man suffered serious head injuries and was rushed to hospital, where he later died. This led to separate investigations by WA Police, WorkSafe and the CFMEU.
Mr Buchan said the incident “involved an excavator and lifting equipment” but declined to speculate on the details, noting that a “worker tragically did not return home today.”
“We are once again confronted with another fatal accident that was completely preventable and should never have happened,” he said, according to the West Australian.