By Luke Voogt
Two sheets of plasterboard fell from the top levels of the future Geelong headquarters of Worksafe Wednesday morning, according to witness reports.
“If it had have hit someone it would have killed them,” one witness who wished to remain anonymous said.
“Wherever it landed, if someone was underneath it, they would have been in strife. It could have done some serious damage.”
The witness had just parked his car nearby, when he saw a strong gust blow the “2mx2m” and “1mx1m” sheets from near the top of the building about 11am.
The sheets flew at “right-angles” from the top “second or third storey” of the 14-storey building before falling to the ground, he said.
“I heard this almighty gust of wind. I looked up and there it was, two sheets coming down – one big and one small one.
“It would have been massively unsafe – if that’s coming at you at from that height that could take your head off.
“The angle that it was going it would have gone to Brougham Street or Transit Place.”
A site worker redirected traffic on Corio Street as co-workers cleared the debris from the plasterboard sheets.
“Four or five minutes (after the incident) they were running around like headless chooks,” the witness said.
The debris struck cars parked in Corio Street and at least one motorist lodged a complaint with the site’s developer, Built, at the company’s nearby office.
“It copped a few bits of plaster on it,” the motorist said. “I haven’t looked into too deeply and I’m not sure if there’s been any extensive damage.”
When completed in 2018 the building will be home to 640 WorkSafe employees and up to 100 contractors.
“It’s a bit ironic isn’t it, eh?” the motorist said.
“It’s pretty ordinary that it can come out of the building like that. It’s lucky it didn’t hit someone.”
WorkSafe confirmed strong winds blew two plaster sheets from the site at 1 Malop Street.
“No injuries have been reported,” a spokesperson said.
“Inspectors are at the site making inquiries into the circumstances.
“Construction is a high-risk industry and weather conditions must always be taken into account to ensure on site activities do not compromise the safety of workers or the public.”
A Built spokesperson confirmed the plaster sheets caused minor damage to a car.
“Built takes our responsibility for safety very seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The site is now being thoroughly checked and secured and workers on site debriefed.”
“We are working closely with WorkSafe and have a full investigation underway to determine how the incident happened to ensure all preventive measures are in place.”
