A failure to consider preventative safety controls for the risk of falling from height has resulted in a solar energy contractor being fined $40,000 after a subcontractor fell through a brittle asbestos roof, suffering significant injuries.

Sams Solar Pty Ltd was engaged to provide a small-scale generation solar photovoltaic unit and replace asbestos roofing at a site in Victoria. The company engaged asbestos removal contractors to do the initial removal work.

The workers attached harnesses to an anchor point with rope while on the roof, and not retractable or inertia lanyards. The injured worker’s harness rope became tangled and he unclipped himself to try to fix the problem, but the roof cracked and he fell.

The Court noted that had the company ensured the roof removal work was performed from underneath the roof, the risk would have been eliminated. Or, if that was not possible, to reduce the risk of injury, safety mesh or a catch platform could have been installed under the work area.

In commenting on the case, WorkSafe Victoria reminded businesses that to prevent falls from height, employers must apply the highest possible measures from the five levels in the hierarchy of control:

• Level 1: Eliminate the risk by, where practicable, doing all or some of the work on the ground or from a solid construction.
• Level 2: Use a passive fall prevention device, such as scaffolds, perimeter screens, guard rails, safety mesh or elevated work platforms.
• Level 3: Use a positioning system, such as a travel-restraint system, to ensure workers work within a safe area.
• Level 4: Use a fall arrest system, such as a harness, catch platform or safety nets, to limit the risk of injuries in the event of a fall.
• Level 5: Use a fixed or portable ladder or implement administrative controls.