By Vanessa Chircop
A MAN has died in hospital following a tragic workplace accident at Toyota’s Altona North factory.
As reported by Star last week, a 49-year-old man was crushed between the cherry picker he was operating and a metal beam at the Toyota factory two weeks ago.
Advanced life-support paramedics were called to the scene and managed to revive the man before taking him to The Alfred hospital in a critical condition, where he later died.
WorkSafe confirmed that they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Toyota spokesman Glenn Campbell said management and employees of Toyota Australia are deeply saddened by the news that the contractor involved in site works at its Altona manufacturing plant had died.
“Toyota Australia expresses its sympathy and condolences to the family of the contractor involved.
“The company is currently assisting relevant authorities with their investigation.”
Paramedics also treated a man at Altona North last week following a third workplace accident in Hobsons Bay in just two weeks.
Intensive care paramedics were called to another accident involving a cherry picker just before 11.30am last Thursday.
Paramedic Andrew Lougheed said that when they arrived six minutes later they found a 23-year-old man being cared for by a first-aider.
“We were told that he was in a cherry picker helping to reposition the fly of the crane as it was being constructed when for some reason the crane collapsed,” he said.
“A section of the crane is believed to have hit him in the back.
“Thankfully he was still able to walk so we loaded him onto the stretcher and took him to Sunshine Hospital in a stable condition.
“He told us that he had pain through the right side of his back and that he had an altered sensation through his right leg.”
Mr Lougheed said the man was very lucky not to have been more seriously injured.
