Women falls through showroom ceiling and dies

Prosecution Details | Prosecutions Database | Department of Commerce: Personal Buying Service Pty
Description of Breach(es)

Being an employer, failed so far as was practicable, to provide and maintain a working environment in which its employees were not exposed to hazards and by that failure caused serious arm to an employee, in contravention of section 19(1) and 19A(2) of the Occupational Safety Health Act 1984.
Background Details

The Accused is a company duly incorporated in the State of Western Australia and trades under the name Betta Electrical & Gas. The Accused operated two Betta Electrical & Gas stores, one in Rockingham and one in Port Kennedy. The Mandurah store (which has since closed) was located at 3 Kulin Way, Mandurah.

The female employee placed the step ladder on top of a fridge on the storeroom floor, climbed up the step ladder and on to the shelf. From there, she began to pass empty boxes down to the male employee.
At a point when the female employee was out of sight to the male employee, he heard a shriek and a crashing sound like something had fallen through the showroom ceiling.
The female employee had fallen through the showroom ceiling and on to the showroom floor. She suffered fatal injuries as a result of the fall.