Two worksite deaths under investigation

WorkSafe is investigating after separate incidents at workplaces in O’Connor and Dalwallinu resulted in the deaths of two workers yesterday.

The incident at a worksite on Carrington Street in O’Connor resulted in the death of a 32-year-old man following a crushing accident yesterday afternoon.  

The worker was understood to have been in the basket of an elevated working platform when the accident happened.

It followed an incident at the Wheatbelt town of Dalwallinu earlier in the day, where a worker died an accident understood to have involved a forklift at a concrete manufacturing facility.  

That incident is believed to have taken place at a worksite on Huggett Drive.

WorkSafe investigators from Perth arrived at the site this morning, following police who were first responders at the scene, and a probe is ongoing.

Specific business details have not been made public in either instance.

The worksite deaths follows yesterday’s news that Fremantle Ports chief executive Michael Parker had died in his office at age 52.

Mr Parker’s death is not being treated as suspicious.

A total of 24 workers have been killed as a result of injuries at work so far this year, according to preliminary data from Safe Work Australia reported to March 27.

WorkCover compensated for 23 workplace fatalities in Western Australia last financial year.