Scaffolder did not wear flotation: inquest

An experienced Irish scaffolder who likely drowned after falling from a wharf was wearing a heavy harness but no flotation device, the West Australian Coroner's Court has heard.

Shaun McBride, 28, was working for Celtic Scaffolding and was part of a four-man team dismantling scaffolding in Dampier, in the state's northwest, when he fell into the water in June 2011.

The five-metre-high scaffold was erected to form a walkway under the wharf and the water was up to 17 metres deep, depending on the tide.

Counsel assisting the coroner Toby Bishop said in his opening address on Tuesday Mr McBride's colleagues heard a bang and splash, and one of them spotted Mr McBride's hard hat in the rippling water.

Mr Bishop said a mayday alert was issued over the emergency channel on the radio and the site office was also called using a mobile phone.

A man who was working in the area jumped into the water to look for Mr McBride but the water was too deep and visibility was poor, the inquest heard.

Mr McBride's body was recovered hours later and a post-mortem examination concluded the cause of death was "consistent with drowning".

"Shaun was wearing a lot of equipment for both safety and for his work when he entered the water, including a fall arrest harness," Mr Bishop said.

"It is not known whether Shaun was hooked onto the scaffold.

"He had been seen just prior to his fall hooked onto the wharf side ledger."

A Department of Mines and Petroleum investigation found there was no breach of safety laws.

The coroner is examining practices within the industry regarding personal flotation devices and whether any safety improvements can be made to scaffold design.

Mr McBride's sister and nephew flew to Perth from the UK for the inquest.