The father of a teenager who killed himself after being bullied at work has told an inquest his son was happy and healthy before starting the job, but reached a crisis point after violent threats.

Alec Meikle committed suicide in 2008, aged 17, after suffering months of violent bullying as an apprentice engineer at Downer EDI in Bathurst, in the state's central west.

Meikle was taunted daily and burnt with a welding torch.

The inquest at Glebe Coroner's Court had previously heard that a chart was put on display that had tallied the teenager's mistakes.

He was told he would be anally assaulted with a steel rod once the chart was full.

A lawyer for some of the tradesman has questioned the significance of the chart, saying it was a joke that got old quickly.

Meikle's father, Richard, disagreed and said the reason his son reached a crisis point was because he was just one mistake away from the chart being full and he was terrified of the assault his colleagues planned for him.

Mr Meikle told the inquest that one night his son opened up to him about the bullying.

He said they spent three hours writing a list of incidents to show management.

A lawyer representing Downer EDI asked Mr Meikle why he let his son go back to work if the harassment was so bad.

Mr Meikle said his son was keen to handle the issue himself, and wanted to be a man.

The inquest has heard from an employee who says he felt suicidal for the same reasons.

A man who still works at Downer EDI Jason Gallagher also gave evidence saying he was treated so badly there he called the union saying 'you have to help me because I want to jump off a bridge'.

He says after Alec Meikle died the company held meetings with staff about its zero tolerance for bullying.