Council challenged over husband’s bridge accident
Elderly man's injury prompts review of safety protocols
Whangārei District Council needs to step up its contractors health and safety practices, says a woman whose 76-year-old husband was seriously injured by a so-called public “safety” screen.
Barbara Greenhalgh and her husband Peter were walking over the Kotuitui Whitinga footbridge - part of the city’s picturesque Loop fitness trail - on Tuesday morning when Peter was suddenly struck by a piece of scrim “safety” screening. It had blown away from two young Whangārei Construction contractors, who Barbara thought had been trying to secure it to the sides of the bridge amid high winds.
Peter was knocked off his feet and fell to the ground, hitting his head on a steel handrail, then against the metal bridge railings. He broke his hip, arm and elbow and suffered a large bump to the back of his head, Barbara said.
One of his elbows “was down to the bone” from the rough aggregate concrete surface of the bridge, Barbara said.
Last week he underwent surgery at Whangārei Hospital to have metal plates inserted and now faces a lengthy recovery. Surgeons have warned the couple Peter’s left arm might be permanently damaged. He might no longer be able to drive or continue the work he loved as a parttime community caregiver.
It was an especially tough blow for the couple as Peter had only been given the “all clear” in January after battling throat and bowel cancer throughout last year, Barbara said.
“He’s been through hell and back twice with the cancer and now this. And there was nothing he could’ve done to avoid it, it wasn’t his fault, it just happened in a split-second.”
She was shocked by the irony of the situation - neither the two contractors nor their supervisor, who seemed to be occupied with something else nearby, had considered the weather hazard.
“It was windy and they were putting these big screens up - ‘safety’ screens! It was two young guys [about 17 and 20, she thought] and they didn’t have a clue what they were doing.”
They had first crossed the bridge about 10am and no contractors were there, but when the couple headed back over it about 20 minutes later the situation had changed.
“Coming back we didn’t really take much notice. There were no cones, no sign, and I was behind my husband. The next minute the wind got up and the screen broke. They hadn’t secured the bottom of the screen and the top broke loose.
“The screen, which was large, hit my husband and he went up in the air.
“He could’ve been killed,” Barbara said.
“It could’ve been even worse, there were women with babies and pushchairs.
“A little baby wouldn’t have stood a chance.
“There was a lot of foot traffic - lots of people were walking.
“It was really windy then and the screens were billowing and an extra gust of wind came and that was it.
“Do they not understand the meaning of the words health and safety? I’m questioning the council and their health and safety procedures.
“They should’ve closed the bridge when they were having trouble. “I just don’t get the logic.
“It’s a public facility, it should’ve been properly managed.”
“Something needs to be done, they just can’t carry out safety work without considering the safety of, ugh!”
Barbara was also upset that despite being aware of the incident, neither the council or the contractor had phoned her that day to check on her husband. The council phoned the next morning and claimed to have momentarily lost her details.
She had now made a formal complaint to the council and contacted WorkSafe.
“I think the council needs a big shake-up and they need to vet these contractors to see if they know health and safety and to use common sense.”
The council has invited her to a meeting, which Barbara hopes is to discuss compensation.
“Why should we suffer financially for something that was totally avoidable by them?”
She thought the young contractors had left the site without fully realising what had happened. However, their manager had stayed with her and other members of the public who helped at the scene.
Meanwhile, WDC acting chief executive Dominic Kula said the scrim material had been in place for several days, having been installed to protect the public from grinding and welding activities on the bridge over the next few weeks. The contractors were trying to temporarily remove it after it was noticed a part had come loose due to the wind picking up.
The council’s health and safety adviser was now investigating the incident.
Part of the investigation would be to examine whether the contractors had undertaken all health and safety practices as required by the council.
Kula said council staff met with Barbara onsite immediately after the incident and the transportation general manager contacted her on Wednesday morning after receiving her formal complaint. That was followed up with a further call that afternoon and an undertaking for another one on Friday.