Ettamogah paper mill deaths: Survivor 'showing signs of improvement'

Lyndon Quinlivan, 37, and Ben Pascall, 28, died after being overcome by gas at the Ettamogah site on Thursday and a 22-year-old Wangaratta district man is still fighting for life in intensive care.

However, on Friday night it was revealed the survivor, who lives at Byawatha, was showing “signs of improvement”. 

His parents, who have been at his bedside in Albury hospital, released a statement of gratitude through Albury Wodonga Health.

”We would like to thank all the staff concerned for the professional care and the rescue personnel at Norske Skog,” they said.

A fourth man became ill during the incident and was discharged from hospital on Friday and others were assessed. 

General manager Milo Foster was shaken on Friday morning and said it was “hard to describe how tragic this is for us”.

“All those families are in our hopes and prayers,” he said.

“And we just pray for the recovery of certainly the third individual that’s there (in hospital).”

The company and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union have offered counselling which has already been taken up. 

Workers gathered at the site on Friday afternoon to discuss what had occurred.

“The mood is pretty sad right now,” Mr Foster said.

“I think there’s a lot of concern, particularly for the families of the two employees.

“One of the employees had a couple of small children and it’s a very tight knit group, that particular crew.”  

Other employees had helped remove the affected workers from the top of a large water tank they had been working on. 

It was the first fatal accident at the site, which opened 37 years ago. The incident occurred during a routine maintenance shutdown and firefighters on Thursday ensured the scene was safe and said there was no further risk to the public.

Mr Foster said there was no timeline for production to resume.

SafeWork NSW regional manager Scott Kidd said it was unclear what gas was involved, but investigators "have a fairly good idea". 

The symptoms suffered were similar to those expected from hydrogen sulphide exposure. 

Mr Kidd said the investigation was expected to be long and complex, possibly spanning months. 

“The response of the workers involved indicates that it could have been hydrogen sulphide,” he said. 

“The injuries and the related fallout from what occurred yesterday is consistent with the fallout from that gas, but it's yet to be established.”

He said it was rare for there to be major issues caused by hydrogen sulphide.  

“It’s a really tragic event for the community,” Mr Kidd said. 

“We are getting updates from the hospital (about the third man). 

“At the moment, all we can hope for is that he pulls through.”

Mayor Kevin Mack said the incident showed the importance of work safety. 

“It reminds us of the importance of getting home safely from work,” he said. 

“There are a lot of families that will be reminded of that today.”

Union organiser Dave Corben encouraged anyone who was struggling to reach out for help. 

Employee safety is “front and centre” at Norske Skog, according to former manager and Albury councillor David Thurley.

The past deputy mayor was a technical services manager at the Ettamogah paper plant for 14 years until 1994 after having transferred from a mill in Tasmania.

He was shocked to learn of the deadly gas outbreak which claimed the lives of Lyndon Quinlivan and Ben Pascall.

“It’s bloody horrifying,” Cr Thurley said.

“We have all these discussions about people going to work and wanting them to come home – nothing can be worse than two deaths. I had difficulty sleeping last night thinking about it.”

Member for Farrer Sussan Ley also expressed sorrow.

"It is something truly shocking for Albury," Ms Ley said.

"It is something very upsetting for all of us. I know in the days, weeks and months ahead those families will need our ongoing support."

Cr Thurley, whose job at the mill involved laboratory work and a focus on water treatment, said safety was always integral.

“We had regular blitzes and programs,” he said.

“With high-speed moving machinery and lots of chemicals, safety there is front and centre for everyone.

“This mill until now has had a zero lost time frequency injury rate for five years or maybe longer, with not even someone cutting a finger and taking a day off work, so management and employees are committed to safety.

“That was an exceptional achievement on this mill’s behalf to have such a zero lost time frequency injury rate.”

In 2014, Norske Skog’s Ettamogah mill won the excellence award for workplace health and safety presented by the NSW Business Chamber Award.

It saluted the well-being initiatives at the plant, including a program that involved a safety meeting before each workday. 

The mill’s work, health and safety manager Nathan Bright said at the time that Norske Skog staff work “hard at innovation, health and safety”.

“It is widely acknowledged that succeeding in these areas is vital to our long term survival as a business,” Mr Bright said.

Cr Thurley said there was a closeknit and loyal culture at the mill.

“You wouldn’t find another company in Albury that has as many 20 and 30-year employees like the mill does,” he said.

“I was a 25-year employee and I was nothing special, there’s plenty out there that have been there since 1980 (when the mill was commissioned).”