The rapid removal of three level crossings during a round-the-clock construction blitz in Melbourne's south-east has led to serious injuries of workers on the site.
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The John Holland Group is removing level crossings in Bentleigh, McKinnon and Ormond, as part of a half-billion-dollar project also involving removal of a fourth set of boom gates in Glen Iris.
To complete the three Frankston line level crossing removals, the railway has been shut for 37 days, and will open again next Monday, August 1.
Trains are being substituted with buses while an estimated 250,000 cubic metres of soil is removed from the railway line and new infrastructure is built.
The massive construction project has become a local tourist attraction, with parents bringing their children to the worksite.
But since the works began, there have been three serious incidents on the huge worksite. The construction union is blaming the rush to complete the work. The incidents include:
- A crane crew member losing part of a finger, that was later re-attached
- A steel fixer working in the rain who badly dislocated his shoulder
- A surveyor who narrowly avoided being crushed by a Caterpillar bulldozer
On Monday, the Level Crossing Removal Authority confirmed a lift being used for overhead work toppled over, but with no injuries.
One source with links to the site said that John Holland was pushing subcontractors on the site so hard it was unsafe, and that this had resulted in the accidents and near misses.
The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union's Joe Myles, who recently visited the site over one incident, said workers were fatigued because the job was going night and day.
"There is a short window where they close the rail, so [John Holland] think that since the rail is shut they can do whatever they want. It's a mad rush," he said.
Fairfax Media approached the John Holland Group for comment on the incidents, but their external affairs manager directed all queries on safety to the Level Crossing Removal Authority.
A spokeswoman for the authority said construction had commenced in late June, and had now gone for four weeks.
"We have worked in excess of 600,000 man hours, with a workforce of around 1000 people working around the clock. During this time we have only had a small number of safety incidents," she said.
She said worker safety was paramount, and all incidents were recorded and investigated.
