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Smash on M4 Widening Project Highlights Wild West Nature of Government Construction Sites

Transport Workers Union NSW Secretary Michael Aird has said that safety procedures on Government infrastructure projects must be put under the microscope in the wake of revelations of a smash between a crane working on the M4 widening project and a passing B-Double truck that have only come to light ten days after the incident.

"How does a crane working on a construction site smash into a passing truck driving past on one of Australia's busiest roads, and how come the public doesn't hear about it for ten days?" Mr Aird said.

"Tens of thousands of commuters drive past the M4 construction site each day. Mike Baird must reassure them of their safety by launching a full and thorough public investigation of exactly what happened and what steps he is taking to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"It's a miracle no one was killed in this incident -if there had been a passenger in the B-double they would have become another tragic statistic."

Mr Aird said the public needed reassurance that safety was being taken seriously on State projects.

"This smash took place 10 days ago, but it's only coming to light because of today's media report. The public needs reassurance that similar incidents on State projects are not being swept under the carpet," Mr Aird said.

Mr Aird said that the TWU owner drivers had been raising concerns about safety on Government construction projects for several years, but it had fallen on deaf ears. 

"It's like the Wild West on many Government infrastructure projects, with no enforcement of safety procedures or independent auditing of contractors on site," Mr Aird said.

"We're blue in the face from telling Mike Baird's Government about the problems, but there's been asbolutely no action."

"We need proper, independent auditing of all transport operators on Government sites, to ensure that drivers are properly trained and not pressured by clients. We also need to ensure that billion dollar corporations are paying a safe rate which can allow mom-and-dad owner drivers to safely maintain their vehicles and to put food on the family table."

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