Jahden Nelson with his baby daughter. He suffered an electric shock while working as a scaffolder. Photo / Supplied
Jahden Nelson with his baby daughter. He suffered an electric shock while working as a scaffolder. Photo / Supplied
A young scaffolder whose arms were both amputated after an electric shock at work has been brought out of an induced coma and told his family "I'm going to die" after learning of his horrific injuries.
And the owner of the property where the accident happened has hit out at lines company Vector for allowing work near live, unsheathed, high-voltage powerlines despite the risk of an electric shock.
"A big noise needs to be made," property owner Heather Graham told the Herald.
"The family is ruined, the guy's life is ruined.
"I think Vector's got to pull finger and do something about this. Something has to be done or this will happen again."
But Vector says its consent required the scaffolding company to have a safety observer on site, and it was up to the site operator to meet applicable health and safety rules.
"It would be inappropriate for us to speculate about how the scaffolding company managed their site, and we expect that WorkSafe will be considering this as part of the investigation."
Father of three Jahden Nelson, 28, has lost both arms and faces years of rehabilitation after the accident two weeks ago at a Massey address.
Witnesses saw a "fireball" erupt and heard a loud explosion when the electric current ripped through Nelson's body before he collapsed.
His mother Toni Paikea said her son was brought out of an induced coma yesterday and informed about the accident and extent of his injuries after 15 days of heavy sedation.
Scaffolding sits beneath overhead powerlines at an Alidade Place, Massey house where a scaffolder was electrocuted two weeks ago. Photo / Dean Purcell
"He wanted to know which hospital he was at, We told him Middlemore. He seemed to think he fell off the scaffolding. He's aware he had an accident at work."
Paikea said informing her son he had lost both his arms was the "hardest bloody thing I've ever had to do".
"He was like, 'I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die'. He just wanted to tell everyone that he loved them."
Nelson was undergoing further surgery today and it was unclear how much of yesterday's discussion he would remember.
Doctors had told the family he was likely to remain in critical care for three to four weeks, "then they will move him if, touch wood, he gets through this", Paikea said.
Toni Paikea's son Jahden Nelson suffered an electric shock in a workplace accident in Massey last week. He is currently in ICU at Middlemore Hospital. Photo / Alex Burton
"We're still not over the hurdle, but they said they are crossing their fingers.
"Your children's lives are in your hands and you only want what's best for them."
Nelson's employer Supercity Scaffolding had been hired as a contractor as part of a major renovation of the property, the Herald has learned.
The company was granted a close approach consent by Vector which allowed it to carry out work near the lines but within a "minimum approach distance" to protect workers.
Graham - who does not live at the property but rents it to family members - believes the low-hanging high-voltage lines posed a serious safety risk.
Scaffolder Jahden Nelson, 28, is now in hospital after a worksite accident in Massey last week. Photo / Supplied
In her view Vector had questions to answer, including why the electricity had not been disconnected.
"They're all live, they're not sheathed. They're only a couple of metres above the rooftops."
The Herald has also learned that a Vector inspector visited the site prior to the work being undertaken.
Paikea said the inspector instructed the company to use the same crew who erected the scaffolding to dismantle it, ensuring the workers were property briefed on health and safety protocols.
Toni Paikea believes her son Jahden Nelson was holding a scaffolding pole at this Massey worksite which touched overhead wires. Photo / Supplied
However, Paikea said her son was not part of the original team who erected the scaffolding. He was instead called in to dismantle it on the day he was injured.
In her opinion, faults by the company and Vector had nearly cost her son's life.
Supercity Scaffolding director Claire Attard said she had been instructed not to comment as the matter was under investigation, but said her thoughts were with Nelson and his whānau.
A Vector spokeswoman said the consent was issued following a site visit by a Vector representative.
It set out requirements for the scaffolding company for both the installation and dismantling of the scaffolding.
"In this case, part of the consent requirement was for the scaffolding company to ensure there was a safety observer and to maintain a safe distance from the lines for both installation and dismantling of the equipment. This is standard practice for a job like this."
The Herald has asked Vector why the electricity was not disconnected given the lines were unsheathed, but the company has not directly responded.
The spokeswoman said sheathing was not an option as it did not provide "additional protection" for high-voltage lines.
The consented work was "standard industry practice" and carried out every day on construction sites near live lines.
