Fall through skylight prompts $60,000 fine

A Queensland roofing company and its sole director have been sentenced for safety failings after a worker fell through a skylight and sustained serious injuries.

The Southport Magistrates Court heard that another roofing company engaged the defendants to cover skylights on a shed roof with metal sheeting in December 2019. The defendant left the worksite after giving a toolbox talk to the three workers who were undertaking the task.

The men started working on the roof with no protective measures. The polycarbonate sheet covering one of the skylights broke after one of the workers stepped on it. He fell 4.8 metres through the skylight, suffering serious injuries. Following the incident, the company and the director were sentenced under the Queensland WHS Act 2011. They were fined a total of $60,000.

Read the full story on the WHSQ website.