Scissor lifts are unlikely to be used again on the Royal Adelaide Hospital construction site after being linked to two fatal accidents in just over a year.

Health Minister Jack Snelling says a union ban has been placed on the lifts after the death of Stephen Wyatt on the hospital site.

He told parliament an investigation into the incident was underway but there was a good chance scissor lifts wouldn’t be used again.

Mr Wyatt was killed when he became trapped between a lift and the head of a doorway.

His death followed that of Jorge Castillo-Riffo, 54, who was killed in similar circumstances on the site in November, 2014 when he was crushed between a scissor lift and a concrete slab.

A workplace safety prosecution is underway in relation to Mr Castillo-Riffo’s death.

Mr Snelling said for scissor lifts to be used on the site again the CFMEU would need to be convinced they could be used safely.

“If not, they won’t be used. I think, most likely, it will be the latter,” he said.

Mr Snelling also told parliament that the safety of workers on the construction site remained the government’s top priority and it would not want the building company to compromise safety by rushing to meet a completion deadline.

At present the hospital is due to be handed over to the government in April and then take its first patients towards the end of November.

“From my perspective, both the safety of the patients and the safety of the workers has to be absolute paramount,” the minister said.

“We certainly won’t be pushing the builder to meet some political deadline.”Safety