Lift companies fined $930,000 after apprentice’s electrocution

Nordic Elevators Pty Ltd and Nordic Elevator Services Pty Ltd were sentenced in the Victorian Supreme Court after pleading guilty to offences under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Electricity Safety Act and regulations. Both companies were convicted.

Nordic Elevators was fined $300,000 for failing to provide the supervision employees needed to work safely. Nordic Elevator Services was fined $580,000 for failing to provide and maintain safe systems of work and failing to protect people other than its employees from health and safety risks.

The apprentice, who was employed by Nordic Elevators, had attended a service call at an apartment building. He was working alone but remained in contact with colleagues. When he did not return home at his usual time or respond to texts for several hours, his father went to the building and found him unresponsive on the lift roof. His father was the director of, and effectively controlled, both companies.

The court heard that the apprentice was electrocuted while trying to replace the door detector power unit without first disconnecting the lift’s power supply. WorkSafe’s investigation found he had attended after-hours callouts alone and carried out the work of a licensed electrician without supervision for at least a year before his death.

It was reasonably practicable for Nordic Elevators to arrange supervision by an electrician with an A Grade licence, as required by the regulations. Investigators also found that two Nordic Elevator Services workers regularly carried out electrical work despite not being licensed electricians.

The companies operated from the same location and shared jobs and workers. It was reasonably practicable for Nordic Elevator Services to maintain a system under which only licensed A Grade electricians performed electrical work, reducing risks to employees and others, including the apprentice.

WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin described the incident as a heartbreaking reminder of the consequences of failing to protect young workers. “Apprentices depend on their employers to set them up for the future – not only with on the job training, but also by keeping them safe from hazards they are likely to encounter in their role,” Mr Jenkin said. “This young man was completely let down and could still be alive had these companies fulfilled their basic legal obligations,” he said.

The companies also received combined fines of $50,000 after pleading guilty to 10 charges issued by Energy Safe Victoria, bringing the total penalties to $930,000.

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