24/08/2023

A fall that left an apprentice electrician with broken ribs in December has prompted a SafeWork SA warning about rooftop safety.

A fall that left an apprentice electrician with broken ribs in December has prompted a SafeWork SA warning about rooftop safety.

The third-year apprentice was installing a solar panel system on a single storey house when he fell 3 m while attempting to climb off the roof via an access ladder.

He fell onto a boundary fence and was taken to hospital by ambulance with six broken ribs and a bruised torso following the 21 December 2022 incident.

An initial SafeWork SA investigation found:

  • workers on site were installing the solar panel system while wearing harnesses
  • the apprentice was not attached to the rope when climbing down from the roof.
  • perimeter guard railing was not installed on the working faces of the roof
  • the Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) for high-risk construction work, listed ‘guard railing’ as a control measure but this was crossed out

Falls from heights is the number one cause of notifiable serious injury on South Australian construction sites, with most serious and fatal falls being from roofs, ladders or non-compliant scaffolds.

The SafeWork SA 2021 Health and Safety Snapshot relating to falls from heights identified that workers on a roof received the most serious injuries.

In the December incident, there was a risk of serious injury or death to workers because the company failed to provide safe access on and off the roof and install perimeter guard railing across the working face of the roof.

Scene of the incident

Instead, the company had relied on a lower order control measure to manage the risk of falls by allowing workers to use a fall restraint device.

SafeWork SA acting Executive Director Dini Soulio said all builders and contractors have duties under work health and safety laws to ensure their workers are safe when working from heights.

‘Falls should be controlled using a fall prevention device, such as covers, temporary edge protection and scaffolding. A harness-based system is only to be used when higher order controls are not reasonably practicable,’ he said.

The SafeWork SA 2021 Health and Safety Snapshot relating to falls from heights identified that workers on a roof received the most serious injuries and determined the installation of guard railing as a ‘reasonably practicable’ control measure in most circumstances.

In August 2022, SafeWork SA published a media release and associated guidance on managing risk of falls following a compliance program audit.

‘Businesses that sell, design and install solar systems have duties to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe for every worker,’ Mr Soulio said.

‘No solar installer should be working on a roof without adequate fall protection in place. If you see this happening, please contact SafeWork SA immediately via the help centre.’