NSW Carpentry Firm Fined $120k After Six-Metre Fall Incident
15 July 2026•BlueSafe Team•Source: SafeWork NSW
A NSW carpentry company has been fined $120,000 after a worker fell around six metres when a ceiling joist collapsed, highlighting the critical need for robust WHS management systems and controls for work at height.
Vanovi Carpentry Pty Ltd has been convicted and fined $120,000 in the Industrial Court of New South Wales following a prosecution brought by SafeWork NSW over a serious fall from height incident.
The case arose from an incident on 9 March 2023, when a worker stepped onto a ceiling joist that failed, causing him to fall approximately six metres. The worker sustained serious injuries as a result of the collapse and subsequent fall.
Vanovi Carpentry pleaded guilty to an offence under section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, for failing to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers as required by section 19(1) of the Act.
The court’s decision underscores the obligation on PCBUs to identify and control fall hazards through effective WHS management systems, including safe work method statements (SWMS) and clear policies and procedures for working at heights. Resources such as documented WHS management systems and SWMS templates are available online to help businesses meet their legal duties, for example via providers like WHS management systems and SWMS libraries.
The full judgment against Vanovi Carpentry has been published on the NSW Caselaw website. The company retains the right to appeal the sentence.
Workers who have concerns about health and safety in their workplace can make an anonymous report to SafeWork NSW by calling 13 10 50 or by using the Speak Up Save Lives online reporting service.
SafeWork NSW advises businesses and workers to use the guidance and tools available on the SafeWork NSW website to manage the risks associated with working at height, including planning the work, selecting appropriate fall prevention measures, and verifying that structures such as joists and platforms are capable of safely supporting loads.
Falls from heights remain a leading cause of traumatic injury and death in NSW workplaces. SafeWork NSW has reiterated that all businesses must ensure their workers are adequately protected and strongly encourages duty holders to engage with available resources and implement robust control measures to prevent similar incidents.