By Elise Scott
A union spokesman and long-time friend of a worker who died after he fell from scaffolding in Sydney's CBD says the tragedy highlights the dangers of the construction industry.
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) NSW Assistant Secretary Brian Parker said the incident hit close to home and he would pass on his condolences to the family in person.
"It makes it bit tougher for me and some of the colleagues at the union," Mr Parker told AAP on Tuesday.
He said his friend's wife broke down and had to be taken to hospital when police told her of her husband's death.
The 53-year-old from Green Valley was working as a contractor for the construction company Perform.
Workcover and the CFMEU are investigating what caused the accident, but paramedics at the scene said the man could have suffered a heart attack or stroke.
Mr Parker said it was the second workplace death in NSW in as many weeks.
Workcover was also investigating the death of a young plumber last week in western Sydney, he said.
"The industry is in a extremely bad state, people are forced to take shortcuts, companies are feeling the financial restraints that are put on them," he said.
"Companies are doing anything to get payment, they're working to unrealistic timeframes."
He says the state of the building industry, which is suffering after the collapse of construction firm Kell & Rigby and what the CFMEU claims are dodgy tendering processes, is leading to dangerous work conditions.
Construction at the Belmore Park site has been terminated indefinitely, pending the results of the CFMEU investigation.
"It's a very sad state of affairs in NSW and that's why we're going to be extremely vigilant about our investigations in this death," Mr Parker said.
The CFMEU will hold a stopwork meeting on Wednesday morning to brief other workers at the site.
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