Christchurch business fined after worker’s fatal fall from a roof

A court has ordered a Christchurch business to pay nearly $300,000 after a worker fatally fell from the roof of a building in Sydenham.

The 56-year-old man fell 4.5 metres to the ground while painting a flat roof in February 2021.

A WorkSafe investigation revealed that the company had no experience working at height, and fall protection systems were not in place.

WorkSafe’s Head of Specialist Interventions, Dr Catherine Gardner, said, “This incident is proof that a flat roof does not mean a safe roof – especially when it’s 4.5 metres high.”

“This was an unprotected and unsafe working environment.”

For more on this story, visit the WorkSafe NZ website.