A firefighter received an electric shocked yesterday during safety tests of the Sydney Metro, leading to concerns from the union over the safety of the railway.
A firefighter was shocked during a real-life testing scenario of an “uncontrolled evacuation” at Barangaroo Station yesterday, when he was shocked by what Sydney Metro has described as a “stray current.”
The Fire Brigade Employees Union (FBEU) and Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) had performed three previous safety tests before the firefighter was zapped.
The FBEU said the Sydney Metro delays were due to an 11-page document detailing unresolved safety issues in the tunnel, documented by FRNSw in mid-July.
FBEU State Secretary Leighton Drury said only 10 of the safety issues listed on the 11-page document have been fixed.
“A firefighter that is usually out saving lives was attended to by paramedics yesterday after receiving a shock which Sydney Metro has explained as a ‘stray current'”, Drury said.
“But we’re not about to toy with firefighters and the general public’s lives because this project is late due to [the previous government’s] failure to address these problems years ago.”
The union also said stray electrical currents are a “clear and serious” danger to firefighters as they enter emergency situations with ladders and water.
“We will not be sending firefighters into this situation until we have a report from an electrical engineer explaining how this occurred and how it can be ruled out in future,” Drury said.
