Union 'blocked' from Sydney construction site before worker's death

A union claims it was barred from inspecting the Sydney barge where a man was crushed to death just months before the incident.

A man has been struck by a metal object and killed while working on a barge in Sydney's Darling Harbour near Barangaroo, Wednesday, March 1, 2017. Source: AAP

The Maritime Safety Union of Australia claims it was prevented from inspecting a Sydney construction site months before a worker was crushed and killed by a metal beam.

NSW dad Tim Macpherson, 32, died instantly when the heavy beam fell on his torso and crushed him while he was working on the barge off Barangaroo on Wednesday afternoon.

Police joined SafeWork NSW officers at the closed site on Thursday afternoon and construction giant McConnell Dowell said it would continue to work with authorities during the investigation.

But MUA Sydney deputy secretary Paul Keating claimed the tragedy could have been prevented and both he and another official were turned away from the site in November.

"We were stopped from speaking to the workers and inspecting the barge and that raised the red flags for us straight away," he said.

Mr Keating claimed the union received a tip-off about unsafe work conditions and had inspection permits for the visit.

Mr Macpherson, from Newcastle, had been working on the project for at least six months.