Vic firms face penalties for neglecting fall hazards

Vic firms face penalties for neglecting fall hazards at more than double last year's pace. Victoria's workplace safety watchdog has initiated legal action against 34 businesses for noncompliance with height safety regulations in the first six months of 2025, as efforts to avert catastrophic falls persist.

Enforcement over fall hazards accelerates in 2025

In addition, WorkSafe has achieved favorable legal outcomes against 28 more duty holders regarding fall hazards, leading to court fines, settlements, and costs exceeding $2.54 million between January and June of this year.

According to the safety regulator, this stands in stark contrast to the 33 duty holders who were charged and the 36 who faced prosecution by WorkSafe over fall risks, culminating in fines, undertakings, and costs amounting to $1.65 million for the full year of 2024.

WorkSafe data reveals 683 WorkCover claims were filed as a consequence of falls from height during the identical reporting window, with 174 of those injured — a quarter — employed in the construction sector. See full details here.

Charges typically follow gaps in edge protection, poor ladder practice, or missing height controls on modest low-rise jobs.

Why fall hazards remain a construction priority

Falls rank among the deadliest hazards on Australian sites, and escalating prosecutions signal that reactive compliance no longer satisfies regulators. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, duty holders must eliminate or reduce fall exposure so far as is reasonably practicable.

Duty holder obligations extend well past high-rise towers. Small residential builders, maintenance contractors, and fit-out crews carry identical health and safety obligations whenever tasks occur above ground level, which explains why height-related claims span every trade. Data from the regulator repeatedly places construction near the top of claim tallies.

Practical steps that curb fall hazards

• Complete a documented risk assessment before any task at height begins.
• Install engineered edge protection or guardrails, then add a fall arrest system where elimination proves impossible.
• Confirm scaffolds, ladders, and height access equipment stay inspected, tagged, and maintained — our SOP for equipment maintenance sets out that process.
• Prepare a Safe Work Method Statement for high-risk construction work involving falls over two metres.
• Coach supervisors to pause jobs when safe access cannot be assured.
• Review incidents and near misses so safe systems of work keep improving.

Documentation that stands up to scrutiny

Written procedures prove to courts, clients, and crews that hazards were assessed and controlled. Templates aligned with current codes of practice keep records consistent with what genuinely happens across construction sites. Clear records separate compliant work from a courtroom appearance.

Recent cases show how fast one lapse turns costly. A VIC company was penalised $40,000 after a worker injury caused by insufficient fall protection, while another business now faces charges over staircase hazards affecting employees with disabilities.

Supervision failures draw scrutiny well outside elevated tasks too, as shown when a company director was summoned to court over driving a ute with a teenager inside the toolbox.

Key takeaways for safety leaders

Height exposure carries the highest enforcement risk in construction today. Businesses that document controls, train each worker, and audit safety performance regularly protect people first and avoid fines second.

Crews deserve a safe place of work every shift, not only when an audit looms. Plan the job, brief your crew, and confirm gear is safe before work starts on any construction task.

Safety consultants and site managers can accelerate compliance using ready-made packages. Every decision taken before boots leave the ground reduces harm, so pair fall documentation with our psychosocial hazards management plans and chemical handling and storage SOPs for a broader safety management framework.