50 year anniversary of the West Gate Bridge Tragedy

50 years ago today the West Gate Bridge collapsed killing 35 people and injuring many more.

Alongside the entire building and construction industry Incolink is commemorating this day and paying tribute to all of our members, past and present, who have contributed to making safety a priority in our industry.

Tommy Watson was a 23 year old worker on site that day and heard and then saw the bridge collapse.

Ashleigh Connolly, our Executive General Manager, Operations spoke with Tommy about his experiences and the lessons he's learnt. You can watch both a short and the full version of this conversation here:

Tommy spoke of receiving no support and indeed of him and other workers being sacked before attending funerals the next week. He reflects that without someone professional to speak with workers were left to their own devices and to alcohol. A further tragedy of this collapse is that workers had no one to support them through their grief and pain and unemployment. Many workers on site that day never worked again. Tommy did return to the site but said he would have benefited from the support that in later years he advocated for.

Days like this can bring back difficult memories. You do not need to suffer alone, please reach out for support by calling us on 1300 000 129.