Union says Brenner tunnel site lacks safety oversight

A South Tyrolean construction union has accused managers of the Austrian section of the Brenner Base Tunnel project of inadequate safety oversight, long working hours and poor communication, ORF reports. The union says these problems contribute to repeated accidents.

Six people have died on the Austrian side of the construction site in the past 15 years. On Monday, a 48-year-old Polish worker was struck by a falling stack of precast shaft components in Steinach am Brenner and later died from his injuries.

Marco Nardini, secretary-general of the Italian construction union AGB, said workers had reported daily shifts of 10 to 12 hours on the Austrian side. He described the hours as one possible cause of frequent accidents and also criticised what he said was a lack of contact and inspections among those involved.

Nardini said safety meetings were held regularly on the South Tyrolean side. He cited a serious accident in Mauls several days earlier, after which the union had been contacted about meeting with safety officials.

Wolfgang Holzer, the Austrian construction manager for the Brenner Base Tunnel company, confirmed that long shifts were worked but said they complied with regulations. He said the company would assess the criticism about working hours and take action if needed.

Holzer rejected the claim that workplace accidents were not properly addressed. He said safety committees met weekly, whether or not a serious accident had occurred, and that minor accidents were also analysed so improvements could be made.

Nardini said there had been no fatal workplace accidents on the South Tyrolean side and argued that the Austrian project leadership was failing to manage the construction site. Italian unions are calling for a joint safety meeting with the Tyrolean side. The Austrian BBT management said on Wednesday it was open to such a meeting.