A faulty generator and a broken water pipe have caused hold ups on the WestConnex project, with over 300 workers having to be evacuated from various sections on Thursday 7 February.
It is the second time in one week that work has been delayed on the project, with the first incident requiring more than 200 electricians to down tools after raw sewerage overflowed from a portable toilet block into the tunnel.
Electrical Trade Union (ETU) officials have again attended the site, with workers involved in the latest evacuation reporting concerns about confusion with the evacuation procedure, which could have dire consequences if a life-threatening incident took place.
ETU Secretary, Justin Page, said it was very concerning that multiple safety incidents forcing the mass evacuation of workers in the tunnel had taken place within a week.
“This is a $16.8 billion infrastructure project, it’s the biggest infrastructure project in the state, yet basic health and safety systems appear to be repeatedly failing, delaying work on the project and putting workers at risk,” Mr Page said.
“One incident might be bad luck, but when each day seems to bring another serious issue, it raises valid questions about how the NSW Government is managing this project.
“Not only are these incidents putting the health and safety of workers at risk, each time a major incident stops work on this major infrastructure project it further pushes back the completion date, impacting the hundreds of thousands of motorists who are waiting for it to open.”
