Falls from height triggered a run of heavy penalties across Australia in 2026 — from a $700,000 fine against a repeat-offending roofing company to a record $3.4 million manslaughter penalty after a worker fell to his death. Falls remain the number one cause of death and serious injury in construction, and in case after case regulators said the failures were basic and entirely preventable.
Key facts at a glance
- Proform Roofing (Vic) — $700,000 for nine offences (February 2026), after repeatedly putting roofers at risk of falls.
- Pearl Construction Group — $150,000 (April 2026), after a 23-year-old worker fell three metres through an open stair void and died.
- Desbo Industries — $40,000 (March 2026), over a fall-from-height risk on a Geelong building site.
- Centenary Bakehouse (Risham Nominees) — a record $3.4 million workplace manslaughter fine (June 2026) after a fatal fall of about four metres.
- Falls are the number one cause of death and serious injury in construction (WorkSafe Victoria).
- WorkSafe Victoria alone recorded 137 prosecutions and about $17.39 million in penalties in 2025.
What happened in the 2026 falls-from-height prosecutions?
Four cases capture the pattern regulators are prosecuting — repeat offending, a fatal fall through an unprotected void, a near-miss risk, and a workplace death charged as manslaughter.
| Company | Penalty | Court & date | What went wrong (per the regulator) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proform Roofing (Vic) Pty Ltd | $700,000 + $12,965 costs | Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court, Feb 2026 | Nine offences across four Melbourne sites: workers on roofs at 2.9–3.2 m with no guardrails, harnesses or safe work method statement — including after an improvement notice. |
| Pearl Construction Group Pty Ltd | $150,000 | Melbourne County Court, Apr 2026 | A 23-year-old worker fell three metres through an open stair void to a concrete floor and died; access should have been restricted until guardrails were installed. |
| Desbo Industries | $40,000 | Geelong, Mar 2026 | Convicted over the risk of a fall from height on a residential building site after failing to ensure the workplace was safe. |
| Risham Nominees (Centenary Bakehouse) | $3.4 million | Victorian Supreme Court, Jun 2026 | Workplace manslaughter after a worker fell about four metres removing ceiling panels — the largest single-offence WHS fine in Victoria’s history. |
The Proform case is the clearest warning. A WorkSafe inspector first found roofers working without fall protection in April 2023 and issued an improvement notice directing the company to stop; the next day, inspectors saw the same unsafe work continuing. WorkSafe’s Chief Health and Safety Officer said nine offences “after multiple WorkSafe interactions and improvement notices show a disturbing disregard for workers’ lives.”
How much are falls-from-height breaches costing employers?
The 2026 penalties range from tens of thousands of dollars for a risk that was caught before anyone was hurt, to millions where a worker died. That spread matters: employers are being fined even when no one falls. Proform’s $700,000 was imposed for exposure to risk across sites where the hazard was identified and left unaddressed, not for a single catastrophic incident. When a fall is fatal, the figures move into manslaughter territory — the $3.4 million against Centenary Bakehouse is now the benchmark for the most serious cases.
The through-line: in every one of these cases, the regulator described the missing controls as basic — perimeter guardrails, scaffolding, a proper ladder, or a safe work method statement that was actually followed. These are not exotic engineering fixes; they are the fundamentals a competent, trained crew is expected to have in place before work starts.
Why do falls from height keep happening?
WorkSafe’s own commentary answers this bluntly: despite “extensive information and guidance,” falls remain the leading cause of death and serious injury in construction. The 2026 cases show a recurring gap between knowing the rules and applying them — perimeter protection not installed before access is allowed, safe work method statements missing or ignored, and warnings from inspectors not acted on. Height work is unforgiving: a fall of two to three metres onto a hard surface can be fatal, which is why regulators treat an uncontrolled fall risk as serious even when the day ends without an injury.
Who needs working-at-heights training?
Anyone whose work exposes them — or the people they supervise — to a risk of falling should be trained and competent before they start. That includes roofers, carpenters, scaffolders, formworkers, riggers, solar installers, maintenance and facilities crews, and the site supervisors and managers responsible for the system of work. The 2026 prosecutions repeatedly named principal contractors and employers, not just the individual on the roof — a reminder that the duty to provide a safe system of work sits with the business.
What are the regulators signalling for 2026?
The message is consistent with the broader enforcement build-up we have tracked across other hazards, including the $450,000 forklift fine that turned on pedestrian separation. Regulators are prosecuting exposure to risk, escalating quickly where duty holders ignore warnings, and reserving the heaviest penalties for fatalities. For employers, competent, current training is one of the most visible and defensible controls in the file when an inspector — or a court — asks how the risk was being managed.
How FMS Training helps
FMS Training delivers RIIWHS204E Work Safely at Heights — nationally recognised training run in person at our Lawnton facility near Brisbane. As a registered training organisation (RTO 45189) with over 1,300 five-star reviews, we give workers and supervisors the competency employers are expected to be able to demonstrate. Explore the working at heights course, or read our overview of the working at heights ticket in Brisbane.
Frequently asked questions
What are the biggest falls-from-height fines in Australia in 2026?
The largest is a record $3.4 million workplace manslaughter fine against Risham Nominees (Centenary Bakehouse) in June 2026. Other 2026 penalties include $700,000 against Proform Roofing and $150,000 against Pearl Construction Group after a fatal fall.
Can a company be fined if no one actually falls?
Yes. Several 2026 penalties, including Proform Roofing’s $700,000 and Desbo Industries’ $40,000, were imposed for exposing workers to the risk of a fall — the fine does not depend on someone being injured.
Why did Proform Roofing receive a $700,000 fine?
The company was found guilty of nine offences across four Melbourne sites for failing to use fall protection and safe work method statements, including continuing unsafe roof work after WorkSafe issued an improvement notice.
What is the leading cause of death in construction?
Falls from height. WorkSafe Victoria states falls remain the number one cause of death and serious injury in the construction industry.
Who is responsible for preventing falls from height?
The employer or principal contractor holds the duty to provide a safe system of work. The 2026 prosecutions named businesses and principal contractors, not only the individual workers involved.
What training is required to work at heights in Australia?
Workers exposed to a fall risk should be trained and competent, commonly through the nationally recognised unit RIIWHS204E Work Safely at Heights, before undertaking the work.
Does a working at heights certificate expire?
There is no legislated expiry, but many employers and principal contractors require refresher training around every two years to keep skills and competency current.
Where can I do working at heights training near Brisbane?
FMS Training delivers RIIWHS204E Work Safely at Heights in person at its Lawnton facility near Brisbane as a registered training organisation (RTO 45189).
Sources: WorkSafe Victoria — $700,000 in fines for string of working at height offences (20 Feb 2026); WorkSafe Victoria — Builder fined over worker’s fatal fall (22 Apr 2026); WorkSafe Victoria — Bakery fined record $3.4 million for workplace manslaughter (Jun 2026); WorkSafe Victoria — More than $17 million in penalties for unsafe work in 2025.