If you’re managing a facility in Australia, height safety isn’t just another box to tick on your compliance checklist; it’s literally a matter of life and death. And if that sounds dramatic, consider this sobering reality: falls from height killed 29 workers in 2023 alone, marking a staggering 71% increase from the previous year. Those aren’t statistics; they are real people who didn’t make it home to their families.
Under Australian Work Health and Safety legislation, facility managers are legally on the hook for potential fines reaching into the millions, career-ending prosecutions, and even prison time. The legal system doesn’t mess around when it comes to workplace safety, and neither should you.
The legal reality check
When you control a workplace, you automatically become what’s called a “Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking” (PCBU). This is a concrete responsibility that makes you directly liable for every single person working at height on your site. Employees, contractors, subcontractors, visitors, etc. If someone falls on your watch, it’s your problem.
The duty isn’t something you can delegate away, either. Think hiring a “qualified contractor” gets you off the hook? Think again. The law sees both you and the contractor as having concurrent duties. When incidents happen, regulators routinely prosecute both parties. It’s a harsh reality that every facility manager needs to understand.
The five critical mistakes to avoid
After years of watching facility managers learn these lessons the hard way, certain patterns emerge. Here are the five mistakes that consistently lead to hefty fines and serious legal trouble:
Mistake #1: The non-existent risk assessment
Too many facility managers treat risk assessments like paperwork exercises, ticking boxes on generic forms rather than conducting proper, site-specific evaluations. A real risk assessment means physically walking your site, identifying every potential fall hazard, and documenting specific control measures for each one.
Courts don’t view missing risk assessments as minor oversights. One Victorian company copped a $270,000 fine partly because they had zero documented risk assessment for working at heights. The message is crystal clear: skip the assessment, pay the price.
Mistake #2: The set-and-forget mentality
Installing safety systems and then walking away is like buying a car and never servicing it. Eventually, something’s going to fail when you need it most. Every piece of height safety equipment has mandatory inspection schedules. Anchor points and static lines need checking every 12 months. Harnesses and lanyards require inspection every six months. Miss these deadlines, and you’re looking at serious compliance breaches.
Mistake #3: Defaulting to harnesses
Some facility managers see harnesses as the “easy” solution and jump straight to personal protective equipment without considering better alternatives. But the law requires you to follow something called the hierarchy of control, and harnesses sit near the bottom of that hierarchy for good reason.
Passive systems like guardrails are infinitely safer than active systems like harnesses. Once a guardrail is installed, it protects everyone automatically. Harnesses, on the other hand, rely entirely on human behaviour, and humans make mistakes. Plus, harness systems create additional risks like suspension trauma and require detailed rescue plans. Courts consistently hammer companies that choose harnesses when guardrails are feasible.
Mistake #4: Assuming qualified means competent
Just because someone has a license doesn’t mean they’re competent for your specific site and tasks. You need to verify that workers have the right certifications, understand your particular safety systems, and receive appropriate supervision. The responsibility for verification sits squarely with you.
Mistake #5: Ignoring worker concerns
When workers raise safety concerns, they give you a golden opportunity to prevent an incident. Dismiss those concerns, and you’re setting yourself up for prosecution. One company paid $100,000 after a worker’s safety concerns were “dismissed,” and he subsequently fell three meters. Another company was fined $60,000 when they instructed a contractor to proceed despite his concerns about inadequate fall protection.
The true cost of getting it wrong
The financial pain doesn’t stop at the headline fine. A single incident triggers a cascade of costs that can cripple your operation for years:
- In Queensland and Western Australia, it’s actually illegal to insure against WHS fines. You pay them out of your own pocket.
- A serious injury claim stays on your record for three years, driving up workers’ compensation costs.
- WorkSafe can issue prohibition notices that stop work entirely until hazards are fixed.
- Major clients increasingly prioritise contractors with clean safety records. A conviction can see you blacklisted from lucrative opportunities.
The smart path forward
There’s a clear path to staying compliant and keeping people safe. It starts with getting serious about height safety and partnering with genuine experts who understand both the technical requirements and the legal landscape.
The first step is always a comprehensive height safety audit conducted by qualified professionals. This is a systematic evaluation of every potential fall hazard across your facility, measured against Australian Standards and the hierarchy of control.
From there, you need systems designed and installed by people who know what they’re doing. That means prioritising passive controls like permanent safety lines, walkways, and guardrails wherever possible. When lower-level controls are necessary, they need to be properly certified and maintained according to strict schedules.
Modern rope access techniques offer a safer, more efficient alternative to traditional methods for ongoing maintenance tasks like window cleaning or facade inspections. When performed by properly qualified technicians, rope access provides multiple redundancies and can reduce costs by up to 60% compared to scaffolding.
Ready to shift from reactive to proactive height safety management?
The first step is getting a proper audit from experts who understand the technical requirements and the legal landscape. Abseilers United have been helping facility managers navigate these challenges since 2007, providing everything from comprehensive audits to ongoing system maintenance. Don’t wait for an incident to force your hand. Your workers deserve better, and so does your career.