The Victorian Building Authority has been committed to stand trial after an employee took their own life in May 2022. WorkSafe had charged the organisation in 2023 with recklessly engaging in conduct that placed another person in danger of serious injury, and with failing to provide or maintain a workplace that is safe and without risks to health.
The inspector took his own life after 16 years as an inspector at the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), where he came under intense pressure to meet ambitious targets. His death exposed the VBA as an unsafe workplace with a toxic culture of conflict.
It's alleged that VBA refused to transfer the inspector to a different supervisor when requested and continued to pursue performance and redundancy processes while aware that this conduct may have placed the inspector at risk of psychological injury. WorkSafe alleges that the regulator should have known the conduct would have placed the inspector at risk of psychological injury.
After a three-day committal hearing, Magistrate William Parker ruled there was sufficient evidence for the regulator to face trial on the safe workplace charge. But he struck out the recklessly engaging in conduct offence after determining a jury could not find the regulator guilty of that charge.
Read more: VBA found case to answer over Inspectors Death - Committed to stand trial - CPSU