Worker tried to flee falling concrete slab

A WORKER whose leg was crushed at Nerang yesterday tried to get out of the way of a falling three tonne slab of concrete but slipped.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland inspectors are investigating the incident which led to Peter Cadby, 52, being rushed to hospital.

It is understood the slab fell while Mr Cadby was lifting hunks of pre-cast concrete onto his truck using a remote control crane at 7.30am.

Mr Cadby may have forgotten to entirely unhook a slab before he moved on to another and the crane ended up pulling it off the truck, according to his boss Alberto Marques, owner of Gold Coast Crane Trucks.

“He (un)hooked one and forgot to (un)hook the next and as he brought the crane around he took the panel with him,” Mr Marques said.

He said Mr Cadby was lucky to have not been completely crushed.

“Apparently he tried to run as it fell but he slipped and it caught his leg,” Mr Marques said. “Lucky there was a container there because the slab would have crushed him. He wouldn’t have been talking had the container not been there.”

Mr Margues said Mr Cadby kept apologising while he was being treated by paramedics.

“He knew what was happening. His words were, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry’ but then the drugs started to kick in,” Mr Marques said.

“It just smashed his leg, it’s actually disconnected below the knee.

“We treat all our employees like family. Unfortunately in these situations it’s one costly mistake. It was a mess, mangled mate. “He might be retired now.” Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Justin Payne said Mr Cadby had lost a lot of blood when crews arrived but confirmed the block had not completely severed his leg.

“Significant amount of fractures, breakages and lacerations. Significant blood loss. (The leg) was still attached but there is a small chance he may lose his leg,” Mr Payne said.

Mr Cadby regularly worked at the yard owned by a company called Elevate Precast Concrete Solutions.

Initially, staff at the yard used crowbars to lift the slab off Mr Cadby but they chose not to talk about the ordeal.

A spokeswoman from Gold Coast Health said Mr Cadby went into surgery as soon as he was admitted to Gold Coast University Hospital.

Inspectors from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland are working with police and paramedics to investigate the matter.