Apprentice’s Fall Highlights Ongoing Risks for Young Workers

On 27 August 2025, WorkSafe Victoria reported that an HVAC company had been fined $85,000 after a first-year apprentice fell three metres through an unprotected stair void at a residential site.

The apprentice suffered serious injuries, and the case served as yet another reminder that falls from height remain one of the most common and preventable causes of workplace harm in Victoria.

The Court’s View

The Court found that the company failed to implement basic control measures, such as securing voids and ensuring safe systems of work for young and inexperienced workers. The $85,000 fine reflects both the seriousness of the incident and the need for employers to prioritise risk controls, particularly when apprentices are involved.

A Personal Reflection

This case resonated with me, because it reminded me of a moment earlier in my career.

One morning, on the way to work as an Inspector, I stopped at a local servo. There, I saw a young worker — he looked like he’d only just left school — unloading bags of firewood. He was standing on top of the load on the back of a flat-deck truck, tossing 20-kilogram bags down to an older co-worker. He would have been 2-3 metres off the ground.

It was obvious to me that he was in immediate danger of falling. I had to intervene. I spoke with the servo attendant, explained the risks, and insisted the practice stop.

The attendant provided a ladder, and the work was carried out safely from then on.

As I was leaving, the young worker came over to thank me. It was his first day on the job. He’d been told to climb up and do it that way, because “that’s how we do it.” I handed him an advisory card, explained he could call the regulator anonymously if he ever felt unsafe, and suggested he reconsider whether this was the right employer for him if unsafe practices were the norm.

It was a proud moment — not because I’d flexed authority, but because I’d been able to give a young worker the confidence to say no to dangerous work.

Lessons for Industry

• Supervision matters: apprentices and young workers don’t have the experience to push back when asked to do unsafe tasks.

• Controls are basic, not optional: covering stair voids, using ladders, and planning manual handling are simple, low-cost measures that prevent serious harm.

• Culture counts: “that’s how we do it” is often the most dangerous phrase on a job site. Leaders must create a culture where safe methods are non-negotiable.

• Intervention works: sometimes it takes a bystander — inspector, manager, or even a colleague — to stop unsafe work in its tracks.

Final Word

The prosecution of the HVAC company is a formal reminder of legal consequences. But the bigger point is this: young workers are still being put at unnecessary risk, and too often on their very first day.

If you’re supervising apprentices, remember they don’t yet have the skills or the voice to challenge unsafe instructions. It’s your job to keep them safe — because one fall, one broken life, can never be undone.

Also know, that the Regulators consider workers under the age of 25 as vulnerable. I know from my time at WorkSafe Victoria, each inspection record within the system used to write notices, there was a check-box for exactly this.