One dead in Sydney after scaffolding collapses in horror workplace incident

One man has died after a scaffolding structure collapsed in Macquarie Park. Photo / Supplied

One man has died and another is fighting for his life after a 17-metre tall scaffolding structure collapsed at a building site in Sydney.

Two workers were trapped beneath a mountain of twisted steel and bricks after the horror accident at a development project on Epping Road in Macquarie Park.

More than a dozen emergency crews rushed to "nbh" at Lachlan's Line — a mixed-use residential and commercial construction project — just after 12.20pm and managed to free a 39-year-old man after an hour.

Rescue workers continued a "delicate" operation to free the second man but struggled to reach him due to the sheer amount of debris. He died at the scene.

Darren Greenfield, state secretary of the construction industry union CFMEU, said the deceased worker was just 18 years old. His distraught parents arrived at the scene just before police confirmed the tragic news that he had died.

"As you'd expect, they're devastated to lose their 18-year-old son," Mr Greenfield told news.com.au.

"He's new to this industry, early in his working life. To lose his life doing a job is atrocious."

It's understood the man's mother worked in a food truck that visited the site daily.

Mr Greenfield said the men, believed to be form workers, were on the ground when the structure collapsed on top of them.

"The scaffold has come down from about 15 (to) 17 metres," he told news.com.au.

"Some bricklayers working up there, they jumped back onto the balcony otherwise they wouldn't be here now this afternoon.

"Unfortunately these workers were working on the ground, as far as I'm aware, and it's come down on top of them. You can imagine, 17 metres high, four layers of scaffolding, that's a lot of steel coming down."

A worker who rushed to help the men after the collapse told news.com.au that he was "shattered and heartbroken".

"We got to them and nearly had them but we all got rushed, told to jump off," the man said.

"There was nothing else we could do. We could hear them calling for help. We tried our hardest to get the scaffolding and bricks off them and we managed to reach them but were told to back off once the fireys and stuff came.

"He was a good young man. Just eager to do his work. He always had a smile on his face, just a bright young man. I'm speechless."

Mr Greenfield said the workers, many of whom were still gathered at the site, were in a state of shock.

Mobile phone vision from the scene shows the extent of the collapsed scaffolding. Photo / Nine News

"I've seen probably 14, 15 deaths in the construction industry so I know what they've seen and I know by the looks on their faces and what they're saying …"

It's believed the scaffolding was in the process of being removed as the project nears its completion.

The man who was freed at about 1.30pm was rushed by ambulance to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition with pelvic and abdominal injuries.

Steve Vaughan, acting superintendent of NSW Ambulance, said it was an "absolutely chaotic and emotionally charged scene" when paramedics arrived.

"It took some time to ascertain what had happened," Mr Vaughan said.

"They were able to treat and stabilise one of those patients who has since been transported to Royal North Shore in a critical condition."

A witness who was eating lunch next to the site when the collapse occurred told 10 News it was a "scene of panic".

Firefighters earlier described the rescue operation as "delicate" and deployed seven crews, including a team that specialises in structural collapses.

Three teams of paramedics and a Care Flight Rescue Helicopter were also called to the scene, along with a number of police units.

In a statement, construction company Ganellen said it's assisting emergency workers at the site of the $220 million development.

"Our immediate concern and focus is on the safety of our people and according for those who were in the vicinity of the accident, and ensuring the site is safely secured," the builder said in a statement.

Two eastbound lanes, including the left turn lane, were closed on Epping Rd at Delhi Rd at the operation continued.

Police have established a crime scene. SafeWork New South Wales is sending investigators to the site.

"While the cause of the collapse is unknown at this stage, SafeWork is employing significant resources to fully understand how this tragic incident occurred," it said in a statement.

The project was sold by Landcom to Greenland in 2017.