A roofing company has been fined $40,000 after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to provide and maintain safe systems of work which resulted in a worker falling through a gap in safety meshing.
In September 2023, D Buck Roofing was fined $7500 without conviction after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to provide and maintain safe systems of work.
The original sentence was set aside on February 15 with the County Court instead ordering the company to pay a fine of $40,000 without conviction, more than five times the original amount.
D Buck Roofing was also ordered to pay $3985 in costs.
The court heard that in August 2021, a worker fell through a gap in safety mesh while working on the roof of a building extension at a Donnybrook school, falling approximately 4.2 metres to the ground.
The worker required 15 surgeries after suffering a broken fibula and tibula in his right leg and shattering his left heel bone.
A WorkSafe investigation found the installation of safety mesh on the roof was unfinished as the company had run out, while guard railing around the roof’s perimeter was also incomplete.
WorkSafe health and safety executive director Narelle Beer said there were no excuses for ignoring the well-known risk control measures to protect workers from falls.
“This should serve as a warning to any employer who thinks they can get away with cutting corners – it is just not worth exposing your workers to the risk of injury and opening yourself up to severe financial penalties,” Dr Beer said.
“WorkSafe will always look to exercise its right to appeal a prosecution result where we believe it does not reflect the seriousness of the offending.”
