AI Solar and Electrical Service Pty Ltd was sentenced in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Monday 20 November after pleading guilty to two charges of failing to maintain a safe workplace.
The company was also ordered to pay costs of $4,678.
In December 2021, a WorkSafe inspector saw two workers on the roof, about 5.5 metres from the ground, with no guard railing installed, and only one of the workers tethered to the roof with a loose lanyard.
Access to the roof had been made via a ladder onto the single storey carport then a second ladder from the carport roof onto the second storey, and there was no lifting equipment to assist with moving the solar panels onto the roof.
WorkSafe inquiries revealed that a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) had been prepared which identified guard railing and harnesses as measures to control the risk of a fall from height, but neither were being used, despite guard railing being available on site.
The court heard it was reasonably practicable for the company to reduce the risk of a fall by using passive fall prevention or a work positioning system, such as guard railing or a travel restraint system, and to perform work in accordance with the SWMS.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Narelle Beer said employers have a responsibility to ensure they have safe work method statements for working at height – and that they are followed.
“This year alone, 369 Victorian construction workers have been seriously injured falling from heights, with many left suffering life altering injuries,” Dr Beer said.
“We know how to prevent falls, and we know the devastating cost of not preventing them, so it beggars belief that anyone would ignore safety when working at heights.”
To prevent falls from height employers should:
- Eliminate the risk by, where practicable, doing all or some of the work on the ground or from a solid construction.
- Use a passive fall prevention device such as scaffolds, perimeter screens, guardrails, safety mesh or elevating work platforms.
- Use a positioning system, such as a travel-restraint system, to ensure employees work within a safe area.
- 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.
- Use a fixed or portable ladder, or implement administrative controls.
