Fall from 12-metre height leads to worker death

A recent Queensland worker fatality was the result of allegedly falling 12 metres from an air-conditioning duct onto a concrete floor.

During the incident, which took place in August 2018, it is thought that the man was undertaking scheduled maintenance on air-conditioning ducts.

According to an incident alert from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, the man was in the fresh air intake pre-conditioned outside air (PCOA) unit when he fell.

A co-worker returned to the area and found a void where a floor grate had been. He looked through the void and saw his colleague on the concrete floor below. This particular PCOA was the only vent open to external, often hot and humid air, and as such was a high corrosion area. Investigations are continuing.

The incident alert goes on to state that falls are a major cause of death and serious injury in workplaces. There are fall hazards wherever work is carried out at height. This incident also highlights that there are risks working on or near fragile surfaces. The surface is likely to be fragile if it is made with:

• any material that can be highly corroded
• asbestos roofing sheets
• polycarbonate or plastic commonly used in skylights
• fibre cement sheets
• metal sheets and fasteners where corroded
• glass, including wired glass
• chipboard or similar material if it has rotted
• wood slabs, slates and tiles.

Processes must be in place to identify all fragile materials before any work at height commences. Protection must be provided if there is a risk of falling through any area where the work is being done at height — such as vents within air-conditioning ducts.

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