Roofer dies after eight-metre fall in Vermont: what went wrong and how to fix it.
A 55-year-old roofer has died after falling about eight metres through a fragile roof at a commercial factory in Vermont around 10:30am on Saturday. He sustained serious head injuries and later died in hospital. WorkSafe says this is Victoria’s 41st confirmed workplace fatality in 2025, the same count at this time last year. WorkSafe Victoria
Fragile roof. Concrete floor. No second chances. If you’re still stepping on brittle sheets or unprotected skylights, you’re gambling with lives. WorkSafe’s fall-prevention code is clear on controlling the risk at the source and not relying on luck or loose process
What this means for builders, owners and facility managers
Assume the roof is brittle unless proven otherwise. Skylights, aged polycarbonate, fibre-cement and corroded metal all fail under load. Identify them from below and mark them up before anyone climbs. WorkSafe ACT
Control the edge and the surface. Use compliant guardrails, temporary walkways/crawl boards over fragile zones, covers over penetrations, and physical barriers around skylights. WorkSafe Victoria+1
Keep fall arrest as the last line, not the plan. Harnesses, anchors and lifelines are backups when you can’t eliminate or isolate the fall risk. Safe Work Australia
Have a rescue plan that works in minutes, not theory. Arrested falls without fast rescue can still kill.
Why this keeps happening
Falls from height remain a top enforcement priority. Regulators keep pointing to the same failures: poor planning, no SWMS for high-risk roof work, and no effective fall-prevention systems. Courts are lifting penalties for these lapses.
How Workplace Defender sorts it
We assess the roof, map every fragile zone, and design the simplest compliant setup that makes a fall unlikely, not merely survivable. Typical fixes:
Temporary or permanent guardrails and compliant walkways (AS 1657).
Skylight protection (covers/guarding) and brittle-roof signage.
Fixed access that removes the need to step on fragile areas.
Anchor layouts and lifelines only where engineering controls can’t do the job.
One visit. One plan. Install, test, handover. No shortcuts.
Quick self-check (do this before the next shift)
Do we have a current roof plan that marks skylights and brittle sheets?
Are there physical controls in place (rails, walkways, covers) before harnesses? WorkSafe Victoria
Is the SWMS specific to this roof and reviewed today?
Can we rescue a worker in under 10 minutes without guessing?
Need help? Book a fragile-roof audit and we’ll give you a clear, cost-effective fix. No waffle. Just a safe way to get the job done.
Sources
- WorkSafe Victoria media release “Roofer dies after eight-metre fall” (Published 28 Oct 2025). WorkSafe Victoria
- WorkSafe Victoria – Compliance code: Prevention of falls in general construction (practical controls and hierarchy). WorkSafe Victoria
- WorkSafe ACT – Best practice for brittle roofs and skylights (identify from below; signage and crawl boards). WorkSafe ACT
- Safe Work Australia – National code and information on roof work and rescue after arrested falls.
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