Special Investigators - Episode 2 - PLASTERBOARD

"Every job has its downside and I'm afraid, for me, one of the biggest ones is having to attend fatals. I love my work but I would hate to die on a building site."

- Former Department of Labour inspector Russ Newton

Playing in a partly completed house near his home ended tragically for a seven-year-old, West Auckland boy in June 2004. Sheets of plasterboard that had been left leaning against a wall on the unsecured building site fell and fatally crushed him.

The victim's young playmate was the only witness and was able to describe what they were doing at the time of the accident. The boy and his friend were using a piece of timber to hammer nails into the stacked plasterboard. The victim wanted to reach some nails on the window sill and tried to pull away the boards leaning against the wall. They fell and pinned him against the main stack of plasterboard. He died at the scene.

Department of Labour inspector Russ Newton said the 16 sheets of plasterboard constituted "a terrific amount of weight, a terrific amount of force".

"Apparently he used all his weight into trying to pull the sheets away from the wall so he could get at the nails on the window sill. And they started to slowly fall and pinned him against the main stack of boards."

The Department's investigation into the accident identified that although more could have been done to prevent access to the site, the plasterboard was stacked safely and would not have fallen without force being applied to it.

No one was prosecuted as a result of the accident. However, following the investigation the building company involved installed perimeter fencing on the site and employed a safety consultant.

Building sites should be securely fenced to minimise the risk of theft, vandalism and accidents. It's especially important to secure buildings sites in residential areas or near schools, as construction sites are often a magnet to children.

Russ Newton said the accident was a reminder to both parents and builders of the dangers that construction sites pose for children: "A building site is a death trap."

BUILDING SITE DOs AND DON'Ts

• Building sites should ideally be securely fenced to prevent access from unauthorised people. If that's not possible, then all plant and materials should be secured (eg locked in a container or shed) or stacked in a safe manner when not in use
• Excavations should be covered or fenced
• All ladders should be removed from scaffolding when not in use (eg overnight)
• Special care should be taken where construction takes place in urban areas or near schools
• Warning signs and security lights should be used as deterrents to unauthorised people
• Parents need to remind children of the dangers of playing on building sites