Painting company fined $105,000 over fall risk
04 Oct 2025•BlueSafe Team•Source: SafeWork NSW
Dukes Painting Services Pty Ltd has been convicted and fined $105,000 in the Industrial Court of NSW after a worker was exposed to a risk of falling from height.
SafeWork NSW prosecuted the company following an incident on 13 August 2022 involving a worker on a mobile elevated working platform.
Dukes Painting Services pleaded guilty to an offence under section 33 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), having failed to meet its duty under section 19(1) of the Act.
The company can appeal its sentence. The full judgment is available on the NSW Caselaw website.
SafeWork Commissioner Janet Schorer said falls from heights were a primary cause of traumatic injuries and fatalities in NSW workplaces. She also reminded businesses of their duty to protect workers carrying out work at heights.
Workers can raise workplace health and safety concerns anonymously with SafeWork by calling 13 10 50 or using Speak Up Save Lives. Resources to help manage working-at-height risks are also available to business owners and workers.
How Blue Safe can help: Our free SWMS tool can help you prepare a safe work method statement for high-risk construction work involving heights or elevated work platforms. Create a free SWMS