The importance of working from heights safety has been emphasised after $62,500-worth of fines were handed down on two Victorian companies.
WAM Homes Pty Ltd and Wanjia Metal Works Pty Ltd were fined a total of $62,500 by the Dandenong Magistrates Court for failing to ensure a safe working environment.
WAM Homes being convicted and fined $47,500 for four charges of failing to ensure a workplace under its management and control was safe and without risks to health.
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“Fall prevention measures aren’t a box ticking exercise to satisfy WorkSafe after a visit – they are often the difference between life and death, and employers who don’t bother implementing them are not only breaking the law but showing a complete disregard for the safety of their workers,” WorkSafe Victoria Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said.
The court heard that WAM Homes had a history of workplace health and safety offending, having been previously fined $15,000 without conviction over fall risks identified in WorkSafe’s original visit to the Boronia worksite in 2022.
Additionally, WorkSafe Victoria issued the company with 11 improvement notices relating to working at height between December 2021 and July 2022. This demonstrated a clear lack of regard for worker safety and a failure to learn from past mistakes, according to the peak Victorian work safety body.
Stay on top of height safety
To prevent falls from height, employers should implement the highest possible measures from the five levels in the hierarchy of controls. This includes:
- Level 1 Eliminate the risk by, where practicable, doing all or some of the work on the ground or from a solid construction.
- Level 2 Use a passive fall prevention device such as scaffolds, perimeter screens, guardrails, safety mesh or elevating work platforms.
- Level 3 Use a positioning system, such as a travel-restraint system, to ensure employees work within a safe area.
- Level 4 Use a fall arrest system, such as a harness, catch platform or safety nets, to limit the risk of injuries in the event of a fall.
- Level 5 Use a fixed or portable ladder, or implement administrative controls.
As the court’s decision demonstrates, there will be consequences for employers who fail to meet their obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations.
