The high cost of falls at work

No one ever thinks that they will fall. But when it happens, it happens in just seconds – and the consequences can last a lifetime.

For former building supervisor John, that life-altering moment happened in 2006, when he fell through the second-storey floor of a damaged building.

John managed to stop himself falling to the floor below – but the damage to his neck and spine would mean a lifetime of pain and rob him of his ability to work. 

Sadly, like so many workers who suffer a traumatic physical injury, John also suffered a mental injury. John rarely leaves his home in Tarneit. On a good day he can get out into the garden or even to the hardware store. But they are not all good days.

John’s story and the impact his injury has had on his wife and family is devastating. 

But heartbreakingly, he is just one of thousands of workers whose lives have been turned upside down by a workplace fall.

This year alone, three workers have already lost their lives due to falls from heights – with 41 lives lost due to workplace falls in the past five years.

No one should lose their life at work. But the fact that in most cases falls can and should be prevented makes these losses shocking.

Since the workers’ compensation scheme was established in 1985, the equivalent of almost $5.3 billion in today’s dollars has been paid to support workers injured in falls from heights. A further estimated $1.1 billion will be needed in future help for workers who currently require ongoing assistance.

Workplaces have changed much in the almost 40 years since WorkCover was established in Victoria and with those changes have come safety improvements and new challenges.

Yet frustratingly, workers continue to be killed and injured in many of the same ways they have since the Industrial Revolution – falls from heights, being crushed or hit by moving objects; interacting with machinery; and exposure from long-term contact with chemicals or substances.

We know how to prevent falls. Employers are legally required to take all practicable steps to do this or risk prosecution and penalties.

And yet, 380 workers have been seriously injured in falls so far this year. How many more will fall before the year is out?

Falls happen across all industries, but the lion’s share happen in construction, with 18 fatalities and 2,168 serious injuries in the sector since January 2018.

WorkSafe inspectors made 13,000 visits to almost 10,000 construction sites across Victoria last year, and another 4,960 visits to more than 3,400 sites in the first four months of this year.

While many do the right thing, too often inspectors still see a blatant disregard for the hazards of working at heights.

Things like workers on a roof without any fall protection at all or even wearing harnesses that aren’t attached to an anchor point. Shoddy scaffolding, platforms without guard rails, unprotected voids and unsafe ladders – the list goes on.

It’s so frustrating.

Inspectors often hear excuses like “it was just a five minute job”. The fact is, there is no excuse for taking short-cuts when working at heights, it doesn’t matter whether a project involves a day’s work or a few minutes. It only takes seconds for a fall to change a life forever.

This week, John and his wife Pat share their story as part of WorkSafe’s falls from height campaign, which puts employers on notice that WorkSafe will enforce high standards on fall prevention.

Because it’s every employer’s responsibility to make sure that everyone is working safely at heights.

WorkSafe Executive Director Health and Safety, Dr Narelle Beer