WorkSafe initiates legal charges following fatal incident involving balcony fall during renovation

WorkSafe has filed charges against a landscaping firm following the death of a man who fell from the balcony of a Melbourne home that was in the process of being renovated.

The workplace safety regulator has charged the company with two violations of section 23(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, pertaining to the failure to protect non-employees from health and safety risks.

In December 2022, while construction activities were temporarily suspended, a visitor to the property owner suffered a fatal fall of about 2.5 meters from the unguarded edge of the balcony.

A committal mention regarding the matter is set to take place at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court early next year.

First published on the WorkSafe Victoria website.