Safety Alert - BMU's - Suspended Scaffold Cradles

Failed bolt connecting the winch and the cradle.

BUILDING MAINTENANCE UNITS AND SUSPENDED SCAFFOLD CRADLES - Safety Alert | 06/11/2015 - This safety alert reminds owners and users of building maintenance units (BMUs) and suspended scaffolds of the need for ongoing inspection of critical components.

BACKGROUND: Two workers were seriously injured in October 2015 when the BMU cradle they were working in fell 10 storeys onto an awning below.

Initial investigations indicate the cause of the collapse was a failure of the connection between the winch and the cradle. This connection used a single bolt, loaded primarily in tension, at each of the two winches. It is believed one of these bolts failed, causing a sudden transfer of load to the bolt at the other end which then also failed.

The bolts are hidden within the connection and cannot be inspected without the connection being disassembled. Inspections revealed that both bolts show signs of significant fatigue cracking which would have weakened the bolts, resulting eventually in the sudden failure without obvious external warning signs.

In a similar incident in 2009 the failure of a simpler connection on a suspended scaffold cradle was also due to undetected fatigue cracks. It resulted in the death of one worker and serious injury to another.

Suspended scaffold connection bracket failure showing fatigue cracks.

ACTION REQUIRED

BMU and suspended scaffold cradle owners must:

• identify critical components in BMUs or scaffold cradles – eg where failure of a component would risk the safety of anyone in the vicinity of the BMU or suspended scaffold
• assess whether the current inspection and maintenance program adequately deals with these critical components, especially any components that need disassembly to inspect
• upgrade the inspection and maintenance program if necessary
• include non-destructive testing or regular replacement of components as part of the program where visual inspection alone is not adequate to detect potential developing defects, such as fatigue cracks
• carry out a major inspection on any BMU that is over 10 years old and has not yet had a major inspection
• carry out a major inspection on any BMU that has had a major inspection:

but is overdue for its next recommended major inspection, or
five years after the last major inspection where no recommendation was given.

Preliminary findings of window cleaners’ fall in October released: A Sydney window cleaner was injured after falling approximately four floors onto a balcony while cleaning windows on a hotel at Gloucester Street in The Rocks. The window cleaner, who was using rope-style window cleaning equipment, is reported to have suffered leg injuries in the fall.

SafeWork NSW is investigating the incident which comes as they release the preliminary findings of their investigation into an incident where two men fell approximately 10 storeys from a Sydney CBD building on Tuesday, 20 October. The men, who were harnessed, were cleaning windows on a 12 storey building on the corner of Pitt and Bridge Street in the city when the window cleaning cradle that they were working in suddenly fell to the awning below.

SafeWork NSW commenced an investigation into the incident which included sending the window cleaning cradle, known as a building maintenance unit, to SafeWork NSW’s TestSafe facility at Londonderry for testing and analysis.

The initial findings of the investigation indicate that the cause of the collapse was a failure of the connection between the winch and the cradle. The connection used a single bolt, loaded primarily in tension, at each of the two winches. It is believed one of the bolts failed, causing a sudden transfer of the load to the bolt at the other end, which then also failed. The bolts, which are hidden within the connection, cannot be inspected without the connection being disassembled.

Inspections revealed that both bolts showed signs of significant fatigue-related cracking which would have weakened them, resulting eventually in the sudden failure which occurred without warning.

In response to the findings, SafeWork NSW will undertake an awareness program and verification activities in early 2016 on buildings where Building Maintenance Units and Industrial Rope Access are used. SafeWork NSW Executive Director, Peter Dunphy urged all owners and users of building maintenance units and suspended scaffolds to inspect their equipment in the lead up to the verification visits.

“Operators should undertake regular inspections of building maintenance units and suspended scaffolds so that defects such as fatigue cracks are identified,” Mr Dunphy said. “They should also consider whether their current inspection and maintenance programs are adequate to prevent equipment failure in the future.

“A similar incident occurred in 2009 due to undetected fatigue cracks on a suspended scaffold which resulted in the death of one worker and serious injuries to another. “Fortunately, although the workers were seriously injured, they both survived, but the result could have been very different.”

SafeWork NSW has published a safety alert with guidance for owners and users of building maintenance units and suspended scaffolds on how to prevent similar incidents. Operators seeking further information on building maintenance units should refer to the Australian Standard.

Industry Veteran Asks Questions

Another Window Cleaner Falls Off Building. Why?

Another Window Cleaner Falls Off Building. Why? In Sydney, another major accident has occurred involving window cleaners and façade access equipment. Two cleaners were left in critical condition after the building maintenance unit (BMU) cradle they were working in fell 12 floors onto the street awning below. One man was crushed under the cradle and the other wound up dangling over the edge of the awning.

This is on the heels of another accident in August where a window cleaner fell off the Apple store in Sydney. He was using rope access methods to clean the façade. He too amazingly survived but with serious injuries.

Are these types of accidents going to be the norm? Do authorities require a death before they act? I’m amazed that after the Apple store accident, the working at heights industry has had no contact directly or indirectly from the agency that is meant to govern workplace safety in NSW, WorkCover. Where are the WorkCover inspectors or educators? Absolutely nothing is being done to improve safety for the thousands of people who work at heights across Australia.

I see the extent of the problem daily. It may be a lone window cleaner working on the facade of a 60-floor apartment building, a plasterer finishing a ceiling while standing on a ladder on the edge of a balcony, or a fall protection anchor point that pops out when being load tested for annual certification.

We need immediate action; to begin with, WorkCover should be inspecting all buildings in Sydney to ensure the façade access and fall protection equipment is in compliance. Also, Government needs to sit down with industry bodies like the Working at Heights Association, IRATA and ARAA, and they need to comprehensively review working practices and standards. This needs to be done now. If we act quickly, we may be able to save someone’s life. If not, I believe it’s just a matter of time before the next accident is a fatality.

Contributed by Andrew Ferguson (KARABINER): Andrew is an expert in Fall Protection, Rope Access and Façade Access Equipment and has been working in these sectors for since 1991. Andrew has worked on large and prestigious commercial construction projects in Australia, Middle East and Asia. He’s experience also extended to the miming, oil and gas sectors.

With 24 years experience there are many first from Andrew and his expert teams, both Karabiner and XSPlatforms. Innovation has always been one of the key elements in his success in solving many of the most difficult access scenarios put up by industry. Such as green facades with 20 tones annually of waste and vegetation to be removed and replaced, glass roofs with complex atrium spaces, large façade art installation, buildings with counter-leveed façades, merging new construction into heritage buildings and a mirrored of architectural features never contemplated just a few years ago. Tackling commercial construction faces many modern challenges however it can be simpler than in the miming, oil and gas sectors where everything is made more complicated by site remoteness, tight program’s and the shear scale of the projects. 

Andrew was a founding member of the Australian Rope Access Association, sat on the WorkCover committee reviewing Façade Access, Working at Heights and Rope Access in NSW. He also sat on the Australian Standards Committee which develop the first Australian Standard for Rope Access (AS4488), his company Karabiner was a (past) member of IRATA and now he is a member of the Working at Heights Association (WAHA) and part of the team developing the ‘Industry Code – Permanent Anchors, Lifeline and Rail Installations’.

Sydney Window Cleaners Will Survive

David Wilson, 56, and Colombian native Edwin Acero-Dastellanos, (pictured) 35, plunged to street level yesterday as they cleaned windows high atop the Australian Stock Exchange building on Pitt Street.

‘They’re not fine but they’ll be OK’ owner of window cleaning business claims of fallen workers: The owner of the window cleaning company two men were working for when they plummeted 12 storeys in the Sydney CBD yesterday said they “will be OK” as they recover in St Vincent’s Hospital.

Ultra Clean Services manager Nick offered a “no comment” over the incident which remains under investigation. “They’re in intensive care,” he said. “They’re not fine but they’ll be OK ... they’re in a stable condition.”

David Wilson, 56, and Colombian native Edwin Acero-Dastellanos, 35, plunged to street level yesterday as they cleaned windows high atop the Australian Stock Exchange building on Pitt Street.

The anchor points of the metal cage the men were in and which gave way.

It is believed a cable holding the metal cage they were working in snapped — sending the pair into a terrifying near free-fall. They suffered extensive injuries and were rushed to St Vincent’s yesterday in a serious but stable condition.

Prior to his miracle survival, Mr Acero-Dastellanos had proudly shared photos of himself up in the clouds above the Harbour City, one he has made home with his young family. In a photo he shared with friends in 2012, Mr Acero-Dastellanos can be seen enjoying the spectacular view over Sydney as he cleaned windows along one of her main streets.

Colombian native Edwin Acero-Dastellanos clearly has a head for heights but was lucky to survive yesterday after he plunged towards the ground when the window cleaning cage he was using gave way.

The thrillseeker loves heights and has also shared photos of himself hang gliding. The lucky window cleaner is also a joyous young father who boasted in 2012 about how his baby daughter had learned to crawl.

The injured window cleaners were taken to St Vincents Hospital and are in a stable but serious condition. A fire Rescue NSW spokesman said both men were conscious and responsive when they were rescued. The accident happened during lunchtime peak-hour, with large crowd gathered in the area. Police had to close Pitt Street as a precautionary measure. 

Sydney Window Cleaners Scaffold Cable Snap Horror

One of the window cleaners is attended to by paramedics as he lays on the roof of a ute.

Morning horror: Window cleaners fall from tower block (Sydney): Two window cleaners were lucky to survive a 12-storey plunge from a high-rise building yesterday after the cable on the metal cage they were working in snapped. Bystanders rushed to help the badly injured men, one aged in his mid-20s and the other in his 50s, who had been cleaning windows on the Australian Stock Exchange in the Sydney CBD.

One of two injured male window cleaners is rescued by emergency services from the scene.

After a dramatic rescue they were taken to St Vincent’s Hospital with leg, back and internal ­injuries. Both were described as “serious but stable”. Witnesses said the pair plummeted from near the top of the 55m-high ASX building at the corner of Pitt and Bridge Sts, with one of the men crashing onto an awning with the cage on top of him while the other was left dangling by his harness from the awning.

The other window cleaner, out of view, is attended to by paramedics as he lies on the awning above the street.

A plumber who wanted to be known only as Matthew said: “I saw a guy hanging close to the ground from his harness, then someone drove a ute (utility vehicle) under the awning to help get him down. “A lot of people tried to help him. They were touching his feet to see if he was OK.”

It is understood that the window cleaners’ platform collapsed, sending them plummeting onto an awning.

One of the cleaners was moved on top of the ute so that he could be stabilised before rescuers arrived, and a ladder was used to reach the older man on the awning. The older man was ­retrieved by a Fire and Rescue NSW cherry picker and stretchered to an ambulance.

Emergency rescue officers remove one of two injured male window cleaners.

Mathew Halpin, who was conducting fire safety maintenance on a nearby building, said there was a huge bang when the men landed. “About an hour before that I saw them cleaning the windows,” he said. “They were about three-quarters of the way up the building.”

Con Triantafillou, who works across the road, said: “We all looked out the window, the cable had snapped and we saw the whole scaffold with two guys plunge straight down. We heard the thump.” The younger man who was dangling by his harness is understood to have back and internal injuries and the older man lower leg injuries.

Members of the public hold ropes to secure the cage that two window workers fell from while emergency services rescue the men.

Another witness said both men were moving after the ­accident but there was a lot of blood on the cage. “If the harness wasn’t there he probably would have died,” he said. “The tough thing was because they were so high up nobody could really help.” 

Police speak to members of the public as they watch the window cleaners being rescued.

NSW Ambulance acting superintendent Brad Goodwin said: “Both men were conscious and responsive when ambulance and emergency services arrived. “They fell from close to the top of the building ... they are very lucky (not to have been killed).” A representative of the cleaning company said he understood both men were “stable” but did not comment further.

Chicago Window Cleaner Critical - Sydney Window Cleaner Stable

The man, whose age was not immediately available, fell from a chair while cleaning windows about 8 a.m. on the sixth floor of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the 200 block of East Huron.

Window Washer Critically Injured After 6-Story Fall From Northwestern Memorial Hospital: A window washer was critically injured after falling six stories from a Chicago hospital building Wednesday morning. Police said the man fell from the sixth floor of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the 200 block of Huron Street around 8 a.m. The hospital's Galter Pavilion was seen blocked off with police tape.

The man was taken into the hospital for treatment and was listed in critical condition, officials said.

"Given the situation and location of the incident, several Northwestern Medicine medical professionals nearby responded to provide on-site emergency care," the hospital said in a statement. "The individual was transferred to the emergency department and is currently being evaluated by staff."

He broke two legs and has internal injuries, but is expected to be OK. "I think the net or something like that broke down and he fell. He broke his legs and everything," a witness said. Northwestern Memorial Hospital staff rushed out of the building and brought the window washer into the emergency room. "I know he's in surgery but that's all I know right now," Carlos Perez, SEIU Local 1, said.

The window washer works for Corporate Clearning Services. The company says the man fell while working from a chair to clean windows at the hospital. They noted that this is "the first incident of its kind in the company's 21-year history." There have been reports of citations by OSHA for "minor violations five years ago" but the company says "neither violation was related to any incident with an employee."

"This is one of our most experienced and dedicated employees and we are focused on providing assistance to him and his family as he undergoes various medical tests and procedures," the company said in a statement. "We are also working closely with investigators so that we can better understand exactly how this happened and to ensure it doesn’t happen again.” The Service Employees International Union said the worker was a member of the union.

"Chicago’s window washers risk their lives every day as they step over the edge of our city's skyscrapers," the union said in a statement. "We pray for this worker's speedy recovery.”

The cause of the fall was not immediately known. Chicago Police are investigating the incident.

A hospital spokeswoman said the injured man was in a stable condition in hospital on Thursday morning.

Window cleaner falls from Apple Store on George Street: A window cleaner was seriously injured when he fell three storeys from the Apple Store in Sydney's CBD and struck a bus shelter before landing on the ground. The man, believed to be aged in his 40s, was taken to St Vincent's Hospital with injuries to his pelvis, spine and head after the accident on George Street about 8.30pm on Wednesday. A hospital spokeswoman said the injured man was in a stable condition in hospital on Thursday morning.

The man was believed to be one of three window cleaners working on the Apple Store's glass facade when he plummeted to the ground while preparing to abseil down the building. The man struck the top of the bus shelter, located in front of the Apple Store, before landing on the footpath. Witnesses said his cleaning equipment, including a bucket and a rope, was scattered around him.

Several people were believed to be standing in the bus shelter when the cleaner struck the roof. They were not injured. A WorkCover NSW spokeswoman said an inspector would be sent to examine the scene of the incident. She said the man was believed to have been using an abseiling device when he fell about three metres.

Apple released a statement saying the organisation was "shocked to learn of the accident last night involving a contractor cleaning the windows of our Sydney retail store". "We're doing everything we can to make sure he has the best care possible to help him make a full recovery," the statement said.

"Health and safety is our top priority for everyone who works and shops in our stores, so we're conducting a full investigation aimed at preventing any future accidents like this." Police taped off a section of the footpath outside the Apple Store and traffic was diverted while paramedics treated the man.

The man fell three storeys at the flagship George Street store.

Apple Store Window Cleaner Fall In Sydney

The Apple store on George St, Sydney, Australia. A safety harness, shattered glass, buckets and ropes remain scattered across the footpath as police investigate.

Apple store window cleaner in horror fall: A window cleaner survived after he fell headfirst from the top of the Apple Store and smashed into a bus stop in the city last night. The man, whose age is not known, stepped back to repel down the building’s glass face when he plummeted into the top of the glass bus stop on George St about 8.30pm. Paramedics rushed the man to St Vincents Hospital suffering pelvis, spine and head injuries.

A window cleaner has fallen three storeys from the Sydney Apple store in George Street and landed on a bus shelter.

English cruise ship workers Shaun Williams, 25, and Chris Rogerson, 24, were standing under the bus stop the man fell on top of.“We were at the bus stop and he landed on us,” Mr Williams said. “He was cleaning the window and then stepped back to repel down the edge to clean and he’s fallen headfirst and gone straight through the corner of the bus stop. “He didn’t die, he was conscious. It was literally right where we were standing. “He was making noises trying to get up, he just kept trying to get up and people were telling him to stay down as he was bleeding from his head. Loads of people came over.”

Mr Rogerson said the two were using the Wi-Fi from the Apple Store when the cleaner fell on top of them. “I just heard a massive smash then the rope fell on my head and his cleaning thing and I got a bit disorientated and he was just lying there,” Mr Rogerson said. “I was just chilling, we were just using the (Apple store’s) Wi-Fi.”

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital in a critical condition with suspected pelvis, spine and head injuries. Emergency services partially closed off George Street as they helped the man about 8.30pm on Wednesday.

Two of the cleaner’s distressed co-workers spoke with police who sectioned off the footpath outside the store. The bus stop’s glass roof was badly damaged while the man’s harness and rope lay on the footpath next to it. WorkCover is investigating.

The window cleaner is taken to hospital.

A window cleaner has fallen three-storeys off a Sydney store, suffering head and spinal injuries.

Window Cleaner Witnessed Sydney Siege

Window cleaner David Wilson witnessed police descend on the cafe with guns drawn from his perch across the street. ‘We were on the outside a building on a ledge cleaning the windows…but we were quite high up.’

Sydney siege over, gunman dead: Three people are dead after police stormed a Sydney cafe overnight, ending a dramatic 16-hour siege in the city centre. The dead include the gunman in the Lindt cafe, self-styled Iranian cleric Man Haron Moris. At about 2.10am on Tuesday a "confrontation" occurred between police and a man who had taken a number of people hostage inside the Lindt cafe at Martin Place in the CBD, NSW Police said in a statement. Shots were fired.

A 50-year-old man was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital. Another man, 34, and a woman, 38, were also pronounced dead after being taken to hospital. Four people were injured, including a woman with a gunshot wound to her shoulder and a male police officer, who suffered a non-life threatening wound to his face from gunshot pellets.

The crisis, which began about 10am (AEDT) on Monday at the popular Lindt cafe, escalated dramatically about 2am on Tuesday when five hostages ran from the cafe. Minutes later, shots were fired and police stormed the premises. Paramedics quickly followed with stretchers and ambulances took the most seriously injured to hospitals around the city. Window cleaner David Wilson witnessed police descend on the cafe with guns drawn from his perch across the street.

Window cleaner, David Wilson, managed to get a birds-eye-view of police swarming into Martin Place as he and a colleague cleaned the windows of a building across from the Lindt Chocolate Café. ‘We were looking around and there were cops running around and guns drawn. Some people came out & they looked like your usual coffee drinkers and that was about all we saw,’ Mr Wilson said, adding that his colleague’s initial response was to get out his phone and start filming.

At least two gunmen were involved in the siege but dozens of armed police sealed off the streets surrounding the site.

Sydney Window Cleaner Rescue & Chicago Crack

The cleaners were stranded on their small platform off the fifth floor of the building in Pitt Street.

Two window cleaners were rescued by a cherry picker after they were left dangling off a high-rise building in the Sydney CBD when a cable broke. The cleaners were stranded on their small platform off the fifth floor of the building in Pitt Street, about 15 metres off the ground, a Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman said. Emergency services were called to the tower, on 130 Pitt Street and close to the Pitt Street Mall, about 10.20am on Friday.

A NSW Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said the operation took about 40 minutes. The platform has now been secured and WorkCover will investigate the incident. The two male cleaners were not injured.

A spokeswoman for Investa Office, which manages the building, said a section of the non-load bearing cable, that is usually fixed under the cleaner's platform, unspooled and fell to the ground. "As a precautionary measure, Investa's standard safety procedures were activated. Window cleaning works were stopped and emergency services called to assist with bringing cleaning staff to the ground," the spokeswoman said.

Sydney high-rise window cleaner Lincoln Wilson said it was "unheard of" for cables to break while working on the side of a building and, during his 10 years, he had never experienced any problems. "Cables should be maintained very regularly and checked over every six or 12 months by a qualified assessor. I know the cables are always out in the weather but they are made of high-tensile steel," Mr Wilson, who is the director of Mr Window Clean, said.

He said his staff always carried walkie-talkies and worked in teams while cleaning tall buildings, so they could help each other if there were any emergencies. One of four east-bound lanes on King Street at Pitt Street was closed while emergency services were on the scene and buses were diverted from area, a spokeswoman for the Transport Management Centre said.

Window cleaners at hanging five stories up on Pitt st, Sydney.

The two window cleaners are plucked from the work platform. A cable snapped leaving the men dangling.

Window cleaners trapped on platform in Sydney CBD after cable snaps: Two window cleaners have endured an hour of terror after a cable on their platform snapped five floors up. Emergency services were called to the tower, on the corner of Pitt Street and Lees Ct about 10.20am. In a 40 minute operation, Fire and Rescue NSW crews used a cherrypicker and a high-rise ladder to rescue the two men. The damaged platform was then secured and the matter will now be handed over to WorkCover. The incident saw one east-bound lane of traffic on King St closed. The two men were not injured. Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Kernin Lambert said the men were in good spirits. He said it was lucky no passers-by were hit by the falling cable.

A California family visiting the Willis Tower in Chicago said they heard the glass flooring on its 103rd floor Skydeck begin to crack Wednesday night while they were taking in views of the city. A spokesman from the building said the sound came from the coating on the glass and the family was never in danger.

Glass ledge cracks on 103rd floor: Officials at Chicago's Willis Tower say the popular tourist attraction is safe, even though a glass ledge jutting from the building's 103rd floor appeared to crack beneath the feet of a visiting family. The see-through glass bays are known as The Ledge and extend about 1.2 metres from the building, which was once called the Sears Tower. Officials say the family wasn't in danger when the cracks appeared on Wednesday on a glass enclosure. In a statement, Willis Tower says a protective coating covering the glass surface cracked, not the glass itself. They say the cracks don't affect the “structural integrity” of the ledge, which is designed to occasionally crack.

The ledges have proven to be a popular - if a frightening - experience since opening in 2009. Fox News reported that as the family walked out onto the Skydeck, they say they were reassured by staffers that the window flooring was unbreakable. "I had my palms on the floor and I could feel it cracking," Alejandro Garibay, 23, told The Chicago Tribune. "Honestly, I was in shock, in disbelief. I was scared." Mr Garibay was watching fireworks at the Navy Pier. "It was an awesome view. We were getting up and walking away and for some reason I thought it would be cool to get a picture of my cousins and brother ... Then we started getting off and, as we push ourselves off, I could feel it cracking," he said.

Australian Man Falls To His Death While Trying To Clean His Own Windows

Tragic fall: the man plunged from the fifth floor of this building after attempting to clean his own windows.

Wife screamed as husband fell to his death from Kirribilli window: Neighbours heard a woman's screams seconds after her husband fell to his death from the sixth-floor window of a harbourside unit at Kirribilli on Monday. The woman ran to a lodge across the road, crying as she begged someone to help revive her husband.

She told staff at Glenferrie Lodge that her husband was cleaning a window in their Carrabella Street unit when he fell and landed in the car park below about 8am. Onlookers tried desperately to revive the 47-year-old man but he went into cardiac arrest at the scene and died. Police said they believed the man had fallen in what was described as an “awful incident” and, at this stage, did not believe self harm was involved.

Sabina Heggie lives in the house next door to the block. “I was woken up by the sounds of screams from next door and when I looked out my bedroom window I could see a woman rushing around and a man lying on the ground near the wall and he wasn't moving,” Ms Heggie said. Several hours later, she placed pink and white lillies on the spot where the man had fallen. “I didn't know him but my heart goes out to his wife. I feel so sorry for her.”

A Glenferrie Lodge cleaner, Anne Yang, said she tried to comfort the woman at the unit block, which is less than 200 metres from Kirribilli House. Ms Yang said she saw the man lying in a white T-shirt and underwear on the ground as others tried to resuscitate him. “After this [the] lady said he cleaned the window, fell off the window,” Ms Yang said. “She just said he fell off the window. She just like shock, really scary, like shaking.”

Vijai Rameshwaram is the manager of Glenferrie Lodge and said the man's wife came running into the reception area, shivering and crying. “A woman came running from the apartment and she was shivering,” Mr Rameshwaram said. He said she asked staff if anyone knew how to do CPR and explained she had already called an ambulance. “She was crying, she was in shock.” The woman was seen leaving the street in an ambulance.

A man has died after falling from the sixth floor of a harbourside apartment at Kirribilli in what police are calling an “awful incident.”

Harbourside Local Area Command crime manager Detective Inspector Mike Birley said: “[It's] an awful incident. “[His] wife was somewhere in the place [and] she's very upset,” Detective Inspector Birley said. Paramedics were called just after 8am and found the man in cardiac arrest but he died at the scene. “We attempted to revive him. He was critical in cardiac arrest but he died at the scene,” an Ambulance Service of NSW said.

The man has yet to be formally identified. A NSW Police media spokesman said initial inquires suggested the death was by “misadventure” but investigations continued. “Police from Harbourside Local Area Command are in attendance [and have] established a crime scene to be examined by forensic officers,” the spokesman said. “Investigations into the man's death are continuing. However, it is not believed to be suspicious,” he said. Officers want to interview anyone who saw the fatal fall. Police have now left the unit block, which overlooks the water and faces the direction of Taronga Zoo at Mosman.