Vanovi Carpentry Pty Ltd has been convicted and fined $120,000 in the Industrial Court of NSW as a result of a prosecution by SafeWork NSW.
The proceedings arose from an incident on 9 March 2023, when a worker sustained serious injuries after stepping on a ceiling joist which collapsed and caused him to fall about six metres.
Vanovi Carpentry plead guilty to an offence pursuant to section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 for failing to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers as required under section 19(1) of the Act.
The full judgment against Vanovi Carpentry is published on the NSW Caselaw website.
Vanovi Carpentry has the right to appeal against the sentence.
Workers who have concerns about workplace health and safety can anonymously contact SafeWork NSW on 13 10 50 or through the Speak up Save lives website.
Business owners and workers can access a range of resources to help manage the risks of working from heights on the SafeWork NSW website at https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/working-at-heights.
Quotes attributable to Acting SafeWork Commissioner Petrina Casey:
“Falls from heights are a primary cause of traumatic injuries and fatalities at NSW workplaces.”
“SafeWork NSW reminds all businesses of their duty to ensure their workers are protected and encourages them to engage with the available resources to help manage the risks related to working from a height.”
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