Worker found at base of ladder

TINA LAW

A Christchurch man injured while working on the Hotel Grand Chancellor is thought to have fallen from a ladder.

The 42-year-old construction worker suffered head injuries after he fell about 8am on Friday while working between the 23rd and 24th floors.

Fletcher's construction group chief executive Graham Darlow said he did not know exactly what happened, but it appeared the man was working from a ladder when he fell.

"We know he was found at the base of the ladder."

It was thought he had fallen about three metres, Darlow said.

A Canterbury District Health Board spokeswoman said yesterday she was unable to provide an update on the man's condition because the family had requested no information be released.

He was listed as being in a critical condition on Friday.

The man, who has been employed by Fletchers in Christchurch for six years, was assisting with the demolition of the central city hotel and was one of eight Fletchers employees working on the building at the time, along with about 20 other subcontractors.

All work at the site was halted on Friday. Darlow said he hoped work would restart this week.

Fletchers was investigating the incident with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) and the Department of Labour.

Darlow said the investigations could result in changes to operational procedures at the site, but not the overall method.

A Department of Labour spokeswoman said investigators were at the site on Friday and Saturday, but she did not know when work would resume.

The investigation was continuing, she said.

A Cera spokeswoman said it was too early to say if the incident and investigation would lead to any changes to red zone demolition practices.

Cera called a meeting of representatives from every demolition site in the red zone on Friday to remind them about safety and to tell them about the investigation.

- © Fairfax NZ News