Two companies have been fined a combined $630,000 following the death of a 25-year-old worker in August 2023 in an elevated work platform (EWP) incident. Licojo Pty Ltd, which serviced the EWP, was fined $230,000, and Ridge Commercial Pty Ltd, the owner and operator of the EWP, was fined $400,000.
The telescopic boom lift involved in the fatal incident was fitted with an operator protection alarm (OPA), designed to stop the machine's functions, sound an alarm and activate flashing lights if the operator came into contact with its pressure-sensitive strip. Before the incident, the OPA had been disconnected, with its power cables secured to the machine's frame.
On the morning of the incident, a Licojo technician serviced the EWP but failed to identify or rectify the disconnected OPA, and the machine was not removed from service.
Later that day, the Ridge Commercial worker was using the EWP to install safety mesh at a construction site. He was operating without a spotter when the machine moved and pinned him against an overhead steel structure. He remained trapped for approximately ten minutes before other workers noticed him and lowered the platform. He later died in hospital from injuries sustained during the incident.
The incident highlights the critical importance of identifying and addressing safety defects through effective inspections and maintenance before plant is returned to service, and of having safe systems of work in place to ensure that equipment is used safely.
Licojo accepted that it was reasonably practicable to have identified the inoperative OPA during servicing and either reconnect it or remove the EWP from service. Ridge Commercial also admitted that it had failed to conduct required daily pre-start inspections, failed to remove the machine from service when the OPA was inoperative, and failed to implement systems that would ensure a suitably trained and licensed spotter was assigned to EWP operations.
WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said employers had an obligation to provide and maintain fit-for-purpose plant and safe systems of work.
"As an employer, you must take all necessary steps to ensure your workers and others affected by your actions are safe and without risks to health," Mr Jenkin said.
"This tragic death could have been avoided if both companies had adhered to the relevant industry standards and guidance, and WorkSafe will continue to take strong action against workplaces who fail to do so."
Employers must ensure that:
- EWPs undergo appropriate pre-start inspections and servicing.
- Safety-critical devices and emergency systems are confirmed to be operational.
- Defective plant is immediately isolated and removed from service until the defect has been rectified.
- Workers undertaking high-risk work hold the appropriate licences and competencies.
- Required spotters are appropriately trained, licensed and consistently assigned.
- Workers receive adequate information, instruction, training and supervision.
- Fall, overturning and crushing hazards are identified and effectively controlled through a documented risk-management process.
Workers should never assume plant is safe simply because it has been serviced or has previously been used without incident. Before operating an EWP, users must:
- Complete the required pre-start inspection.
- Check that emergency and operator protection systems are functional.
- Do not operate plant with critical safety devices disconnected or defective.
- Confirm that required licences, training and supervision are in place.
- Use a trained and authorised spotter where required.
- Stop work and report defects immediately.
- Never bypass, disconnect or ignore a safety device.
You can learn more about the safe use of EWPs in the WorkSafe publication Elevating Work Platforms Industry Standard (Edition 4).
In February 2025 the Sentencing Advisory Council released a report to the Victorian Government making 12 recommendations for reform regarding the sentencing of OHS offences in Victoria. This included significantly increasing maximum penalties for breaching OHS duties in line with community expectations. The Victorian Government is yet to provide a response to this report.
Read more: Two companies fined $630,000 after worker’s death | WorkSafe Victoria