The
extremely dangerous conditions rife across Australia’s construction
industry have claimed the life of another worker, adding to an already
grim toll for this year.
Michael Murphy, a 49 year-old contract plumber from New Zealand, was
killed on the morning of November 29 at “The Ribbon” construction site
in Sydney when a high pressure pipe burst causing severe face and head
injuries. Murphy was treated at the scene by New South Wales (NSW)
Ambulance officers and taken to St Vincent’s Hospital in a critical
condition, but subsequently died.
Speaking to the media a NSW Ambulance inspector pointed to the
enormous pressure that was unleashed when the pipe burst, noting that
some people nearby initially thought it was an explosion. The extent of
the horrific injuries the man received were testified to in a media
report stating that when Murphy’s wife went to the hospital, doctors
would not allow her to view his face and she could only touch her
deceased husband’s hand.
The NSW Police announced in the wake of the death that a crime scene
had been established and that they were conducting ongoing inquiries
into the circumstances surrounding the incident. They have not yet
released any further details on the cause of the tragedy.
“The Ribbon,” a hotel building which will also house a new IMAX
Theatre in Darling Harbour, is being developed by giant construction
company Grocon, which is notorious for having carried out sweeping
attacks on the workers’ conditions.
In the wake of Friday’s death, Construction Forestry Maratime Mining
and Energy Union (CFMMEU) NSW state secretary Darren Greenfield
declared: “It is appalling that another worker has been killed on a
Grocon site.”
As was the case in a spate of other deadly incidents on building
projects over the past years, however, the union was made aware of the
unsafe dangerous conditions existing across “The Ribbon” site prior to
Murphy’s tragic death. Greenfield admitted that the CFMMEU had “been
alerted to a range of issues throughout the life of the Ribbon site at
Darling Harbour.”
Greenfield also declared: “Grocon has a shocking track record of
callous disregard for workers’ safety,” adding “How many lives must be
lost, and people injured before this company wakes up to themselves?
The question that must be asked is why has the CFMMEU not acted to
end unsafe working conditions and enforce safety standards to prevent
death and injuries?
Inspectorates that are supposed to enforce health and safety procedures now merely provide a rubber-stamp for the corporations.
Moreover, actions by government safety agencies such as SafeWork NSW
are little more than window dressing that does little or nothing to
address the deadly situation. In late 2017, SafeWork NSW introduced
on-the-spot fines for safety breaches, but these were capped at just
$3,600. While over a thousand breach notices were issued in 2018,
on-the-spot fines totalled just $265,000, an average of $265 for each
violation.
The union leadership have given the construction companies free reign
to skirt around safety requirements and cut corners in the frenzied bid
to reduce costs and meet ever more demanding deadlines so as to boost
profits. Among other measures, the union bureaucrats worked to dismantle
the old site and job committees elected by rank and file workers that
would seek to enforce safety standards.
In many cases, such committees have been replaced by paid union
health and safety officers who are close to the union bureaucracy and
collaborate with management to ensure continued production.
The union leaders, including those of CFMMEU, fully backed the
draconian Fair Work (FW) industrial laws introduced by the former
federal Labor government in 2009. These virtually outlawed all
industrial action and contain harsh penalties for any breach by workers.
In dispute after dispute, the unions, acting as an industrial police
force, enforced the FW laws in order to straightjacket workers and
prevent opposition to the ongoing corporate assault.
It is therefore no accident that the construction sector is now
ranked as the third most dangerous industry by workplace fatalities.
There have been 22 deaths in the sector this year. Over the previous
three years the total number of construction fatalities was a staggering
110, comprised of 45 last year, 30 in 2017 and 35 in 2016.
In the aftermath of the death on “The Ribbon” site, the CFMMEU has
again called for the introduction of industrial manslaughter laws “that
hold culpable bosses to account.” The union leadership claims that the
threat of jail terms would be an effective deterrent.
Even where such laws have been introduced, such as in the state of
Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), industrial deaths
have continued, with big business governments resistant to pursuing
companies in breach or enforcing penalties. In the ACT, where industrial
manslaughter laws were introduced in 2004, not one prosecution has
proceeded. No one has been charged under the Queensland legislation,
which was passed in 2017.
The widow of a New Zealand worker killed when a pipe exploded on a
Sydney construction site has described the moment she was taken to see
his body in a hospital room.
Michael Murphy, known as
Murf, died yesterday morning when one of the high-pressure water pipes
he was working with on the IMAX Theatre construction site in Darling
Harbour burst.
The 49-year-old suffered what New South
Wales Ambulance staff described as "very significant injuries to his
face and head" and died at St Vincent's Hospital.
This morning, his wife, Phim Kwan, said she was told of her husband's death soon after she arrived at the hospital.
"A doctor came and told me he died, and asked if I wanted to see him."
She did.
Doctors told her not to look at Murphy's face, which was covered, she said.
"I just touched his hand. They said you can touch his hand, but you can't see his face."
The couple met when Murphy was holidaying in her home country of Thailand, and they married 10 years ago.
Kwan has an 18-year-old son, but the couple had no children together.
Her husband was a kind man who was "really funny".
"He was really good to me."
Michael "Murf" Murphy and Phim Kwan married after meeting in Thailand. Photo / Supplied
The former Aucklander enjoyed simple pleasures, such as a drink, eating
his favourite foods and the All Blacks - Murphy's Facebook page is
littered with photos of him in All Black gear.
Murphy's mother was dead, but he had a father and sister in New Zealand and another sister in Melbourne, Kwan said.
An uncle was on his way to Sydney from New Zealand and a decision was
yet to be made about her husband's funeral and final resting place, Kwan
said.
Phim Kwan and Michael "Murf" Murphy were married about 10 years before
Murphy died while working on a Sydney construction site. Photo /
Supplied
He had lived
in Australia for most of his adult life, including seven years in
Perth, before the couple moved to Rose Bay in Sydney, she said.
A crime scene was established at the construction site and police would
prepare a report for the coroner, ABC reported. Safework NSW had also
been notified.
The IMAX Theatre was torn down in 2016
as part of a $700 million redevelopment called The Ribbon, being built
by construction company Grocon.
Grocon shared their "deepest sympathies" to Murphy's family and friends.
ABC reported that the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and
Energy Union had previously criticised the company for not doing enough
to keep workers safe.
"The union has been alerted to a
range of issues throughout the life of The Ribbon site at Darling
Harbour,: a spokesperson said.
Kiwi Jim Adams, pictured with his wife Diane Adams and grandaughter
Teghan Adams, died in a workplace accident in Sydney in 2017. Photo /
Supplied
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