Vic companies face charges over death of worker

Victoria’s workplace health and safety watchdog has filed charges against two companies after a fatal workplace incident at a Melbourne construction site in August 2021.

WorkSafe said a 23 year-old man was found unresponsive beside a scaffold at the site. He was taken to hospital, where he later died.

The safety watchdog alleges that both companies contravened regulation 105(b) of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations by failing to prevent unauthorised interference with the scaffolding.

It further alleges that the companies failed to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that persons other than its own employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.

The companies will face court next month.

Originally published on WorkSafe Victoria website.