A 20-year-old apprentice electrician in the ACT recently suffered serious injuries after receiving an electric shock and falling approximately five metres to the ground.
The young man was working in a bus depot at the time of the incident, and was subsequently transferred to Canberra Hospital.
ACT work safety commissioner Mark McCabe urged Canberra workers to remain vigilant about safety in their workplaces following the incident.
“It proves that dangers lurk in every workplace,” he said. “An incident of this nature is tragic and my thoughts are with the young man’s family and friends at this time.
“The construction industry is generally considered to be one that involves a high level of risk but it is important to recognise that all workplaces are unsafe if correct systems of work are not in place and workers become complacent about their own and their fellow workers’ safety.
“I am currently involved in an inquiry into safety on construction sites following a number of fatalities and other incidences in recent times. It is troubling that an incident has occurred in another industry in the ACT,” McCabe said.