Seven workers hospitalised after falling through factory roof in Sydney

Seven Workers Hospitalised After Falling Through Factory Roof in Sydney

Seven workers were taken to hospital after falling through the roof of a factory in Sydney, highlighting the ongoing risk of falls in industrial and construction settings.

The men, aged between 20 and 40, landed on plant and machinery at the factory in Wetherill Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Emergency crews including police, ambulance paramedics and firefighters were called to the scene at about 2.30pm following the incident.

Injured men received treatment on site before transfer to Liverpool and Westmead hospitals, where health teams continued monitoring their conditions.

SafeWork NSW is aware of this incident and will likely investigate whether adequate safety controls were in place to prevent workers from falling through fragile roofing.

Why Roof Work Remains a High-Risk Activity

Falls from height continue to rank among the leading causes of serious injury across construction and manufacturing sites in Australia. Fragile roof surfaces, including skylights and ageing sheeting, pose a significant risk when adequate fall protection is not installed.

Employers have a legal duty under work health and safety laws to identify hazards before workers step onto any roof or elevated plant surface. This includes assessing whether older roofing materials contain asbestos, which introduces additional health hazards beyond the immediate fall risk.

Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in Australia. Our coverage of a worker hospitalised after plunging through a roof of an industrial building in Adelaide and a case where a man sustained severe injuries after falling through a roof in Adelaide demonstrate how frequently these incidents recur across the sector.

Controlling Fall Risks on Construction and Industrial Sites

Safe systems of work are essential wherever employees access roofs, plant, or other elevated structures. Effective risk control measures include:

• Installing edge protection and safety mesh before any roof access begins
• Testing roof sheeting for structural integrity, particularly where asbestos-containing materials may be present
• Providing fall-arrest systems and ensuring workers use them correctly
• Conducting pre-start hazard assessments for every construction or maintenance task involving heights
• Reviewing safe work method statements before granting access to fragile surfaces

Businesses can strengthen their approach to fall prevention by reviewing our asbestos roof restoration SWMS and our dedicated roof work SWMS, both designed to help site supervisors document safe procedures before work begins.

Falls through factory roofs, skylights, and deteriorated plant coverings remain preventable when proper safety planning is followed. Employers should consult SafeWork NSW guidance on managing the risk of falls at construction and industrial sites, and ensure every worker understands when a safe work method statement is required before undertaking roof-related tasks.

Other recent incidents, including a Sydney tradie hospitalised after falling off scaffolding, reinforce the need for consistent safety practices across all trades working at height.

Source: Seven News.