Illawarra Turf Club Hit with $200k Fine Over Roof Fall Incident
02 Mar 2026•BlueSafe Team•Source: SafeWork NSW
The Illawarra Turf Club Ltd has been fined $200,000 in the NSW District Court after a worker sustained serious injuries in a fall through a skylight at Kembla Grange Racecourse, highlighting the critical importance of robust WHS management systems and safe work procedures for height-related tasks.
The Illawarra Turf Club Ltd has been convicted and ordered to pay a $200,000 fine in the District Court of New South Wales following a prosecution brought by SafeWork NSW, after a worker was seriously injured in a fall from height at Kembla Grange Racecourse.
The incident occurred on 22 March 2022, when a worker fell approximately 5.2 metres through a skylight while undertaking work on the roof of the grandstand. The worker sustained significant injuries, underscoring the well-known and foreseeable risks associated with working at heights and near fragile roofing surfaces.
The Court found that Illawarra Turf Club Ltd failed to meet its primary duty of care to workers under section 19(1) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW). The company pleaded guilty to an offence under section 32 of the Act, which relates to failing to comply with a health and safety duty and thereby exposing an individual to the risk of death or serious injury.
This case serves as a strong reminder to PCBUs (persons conducting a business or undertaking) to implement and maintain effective WHS management systems, including clear policies, procedures and Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) for all work at height and work on or near fragile surfaces. Having documented, task-specific SWMS in place, such as those available from specialist providers like BlueSafe Online, can help demonstrate that risks have been identified, assessed and controlled in line with legislative requirements.
The full judgment in this matter is publicly available on the NSW Caselaw website. Illawarra Turf Club Ltd retains the right to appeal the sentence imposed by the Court.
SafeWork NSW has reiterated that falls from heights remain a leading cause of traumatic injuries and fatalities in workplaces across the state. SafeWork Commissioner Janet Schorer emphasised that all businesses must ensure that appropriate control measures, including fall prevention systems, edge protection, exclusion zones and adequate worker training, are in place whenever work at height is undertaken.
Workers who have concerns about health and safety issues in their workplace can contact SafeWork NSW confidentially and anonymously on 13 10 50 or via the Speak Up Save Lives online reporting service.
Business owners, managers and supervisors are encouraged to review their existing WHS policies, procedures and SWMS, and to access the guidance material and tools available on the SafeWork NSW website to better manage the risks associated with working at heights.