A Victorian roofing company has been convicted and fined $55,000 after a young person on paid work experience fell more than 3.5 metres through a skylight on a building in Highett, sustaining catastrophic injuries that left him permanently paralysed.

Bowitt Group Pty Ltd was sentenced following the incident in February 2024, in which the work experience student was carrying a removed roofing sheet to the edge of the roof when he fell through an unprotected skylight. A WorkSafe Victoria investigation found that while several Safe Work Method Statements outlining the risks of the roofing works and associated control measures had been prepared, there were no fall protection measures in place at the time of the incident.

The court heard it was reasonably practicable for Bowitt Group to have reduced the risk of serious injury or death by securely covering the skylights, or by installing guardrails or barriers and signs around them — straightforward and inexpensive controls that would have prevented the fall entirely.

WorkSafe Victoria Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said the outcome was another example of a preventable tragedy. ‘Time and time again we see duty holders fail to take simple, easily understood precautions to address the serious risks of a fall from heights,’ he said. ‘There are no excuses for failing to protect workers from known hazards on construction and roofing sites, and this is even more critical when young or inexperienced workers are involved.’

The case highlights two intersecting WHS obligations that employers must get right. First, the hierarchy of controls for work at height requires passive fall prevention — physical barriers and covers — to be prioritised above personal protective equipment. Second, young and inexperienced workers, including those on work experience placements, are entitled to the same level of protection as any other worker. Placing an inexperienced person on a roof without ensuring that fall hazards are physically controlled is a serious breach of duty.

WorkSafe Victoria offers free falls basics workshops for eligible employers to help improve their understanding of fall prevention obligations. All construction and roofing employers in Victoria are reminded to treat work at height as a high-risk activity requiring documented planning, adequate controls, and active supervision — regardless of how short the task.