Nordic Elevators Pty Ltd and Nordic Elevator Services Pty Ltd were sentenced in the Victorian Supreme Court today after pleading guilty to offences under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the Electricity Safety Act and regulations.
Nordic Elevators was convicted and fined $300,000 for failing to provide employees with the necessary supervision to ensure they could work safely and without risks to health.
Nordic Elevator Services was convicted and fined $580,000 for failing to provide and maintain safe systems of work and failing to ensure that people other than employees weren't exposed to health and safety risks.
In March 2021, a 21-year-old apprentice electrician employed by Nordic Elevators responded to a service call for a faulty car lift at an apartment building, working alone while in contact with colleagues.
After learning that the apprentice hadn't returned home at his usual time or responded to texts for several hours, the apprentice's father, who was the director of and effectively in control of both companies, went to the building and located his son unresponsive on the roof of the lift.
The court heard the apprentice had been electrocuted while attempting to change the door detector power unit without first disconnecting the lift from power.
A WorkSafe investigation revealed that the apprentice had been attending after-hours callouts on his own and performing the work of a licenced electrician without supervision for at least year before his death.
It was reasonably practicable for Nordic Elevators to have provided the apprentice with supervision by an electrician holding an A Grade licence in accordance with the regulations.
Investigators also discovered that two other workers employed by Nordic Elevator Services would often perform electrical work despite not being licenced electricians.
It was reasonably practicable for Nordic Elevator Services, which operated from the same location and shared jobs and workers with Nordic Elevators, to have provided and maintained a system of work in which electrical work would only be carried out by licenced A Grade electricians in order to reduce health and safety risks to both employees and non-employees, including the apprentice.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said the incident was 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. "WorkSafe will continue to prosecute duty holders who turn a blind eye to safety, but no penalty is worse than the painful burden that this company - and family - now bears."
The companies were also fined a combined $50,000 after pleading guilty to 10 charges issued by Energy Safe Victoria.
Those working with electricity should:
- Always de-energise and lock-out the switchboard or circuit to be worked on.
- Always test for live to ensure all parts are de-energised before starting or restarting work.
- If working on or near an energised installation, ensure a Safe Work Method Statement is developed and adhered to.
- Ensure apprentices are effectively supervised.
- If the power cannot be turned off, reschedule the work to a time when the power can be isolated.
