Warning for lion dancers after freak death

Chinese lion dancing groups should consider lifting safety standards after a Sydney teenager was killed in a tragic accident, a NSW coroner says.

Lion dancer Tommy Ngo, 19, died while rehearsing in Sydney's Chinatown in November 2014 after a mistake by his dance partner sent him crashing into a steel platform, leaving him with fatal neck injuries.

Deputy NSW coroner Harriet Grahame said although the tragic accident was extremely rare, lion dancers whose routines use metal platforms on poles should consider extra safety measures such as "spotters", first-aid training and floor padding.

An inquest last month heard there had been minimal supervision of Mr Ngo and his partner Jonathon Lin on the night of the accident.

A safety expert who examined CCTV of the rehearsal said the way Mr Lin was jumping before the accident showed he wasn't confident or ready to proceed.

Mr Lin was supposed to leap between raised metal platforms while propelling Mr Ngo from his shoulders onto a further platform.

However, Mr Lin missed the jump and sent his partner crashing into a steel platform edge, rupturing his windpipe and sending him falling to the ground.

The popular, sport-loving Mr Ngo was placed on life support but died two days later from a brain injury after going into cardiac arrest.

Magistrate Grahame said while spotters couldn't have saved Mr Ngo, greater supervision of the pair could have picked up potential risks before the fatal jump.

"Jumping on poles should be more closely supervised than it appears to have been on the night," she wrote in findings delivered on Tuesday.

"It is an issue that lion group dancers who continue to use poles should consider carefully."

The coroner also suggested dance groups consider incorporating fatigue checks and regular breaks into pole routines, as well as implementing measures such as first-aid training, floor padding and a "near-miss" register.

Since Mr Ngo's death, his group, Chinese Youth League, no longer uses poles and platforms in its dance routines.

Magistrate Grahame made no formal recommendations on Tuesday, noting there was no body regulating Chinese lion dancing and that few NSW groups use poles.

"Making certain that existing lion dance groups are aware of Tommy's death and educating them about the potential danger of using poles is an important step forward," she said.