A construction worker died recently after being struck on the head by a hose from a concrete pump at the former Pentridge Prison at Coburg, Victoria. The 46-year-old man was smoothing concrete when a concrete pump slipped sidewards when supports sunk into the ground.

Coming on the 39th anniversary of the West Gate Bridge collapse which killed 35 and injured many workers, today’s death is the fourth Victoria work related death in nine days. WorkSafe Victoria has again called on employers and workers to review their safety practices and ensure they meet contempory standards.

“Safety has to be a partnership involving employers and workers. If relying on ‘industry practice’ or ‘the way we’ve always done it’ is your approach to safety, you’re taking a shortcut to potential disaster. Incidents like today’s, three other fatalities and the three potential fatalities in the past nine days should trigger immediate safety reviews in every workplace in Victoria,” said a WorkSafe Victoria spokesperson.

Twenty-two people have been killed at work this year compared with 16 at the same time last year. In the 2008-09 financial year, more than 28,600 people were hurt at work including 72 with life-threatening injuries.