Workplace safety: Your right to come home from work Workplace fatalities are all too common Sadly, two young men have lost their lives at work in the last two weeks. The first of the two occurred when a worker was crushed by machinery at a Ravenhall distribution centre, and the second incident occurred when a worker died after being struck by a falling metal bucket at a concrete manufacturer in Werribee. It’s the 28th and 29th workplace fatality for 2024 – in a day and age where we should be seeing none.Arnold Thomas & Becker Principal, Joseph Ridley, whose firm represents a number of workers across Melbourne’s west, said: “Everyone has the right to come home from work safely. The ripple effects on these kinds of preventable deaths are huge; not only have these men lost their lives, but their family and friends have lost a loved one.” “Workplace negligence is a failure of the employer to provide a duty of care. Your employer has a responsibility to keep you as safe as possible, no matter what job you perform.” Machinery operators and drivers are one of the most high-risk to sustain an injury, making up almost 10% of all workplace injuries in Australia every year. Mr Ridley urges workers to speak up if they aren’t comfortable with their work environment or don’t feel they have been given adequate training before performing any job, particularly where machinery is involved. And earlier this month, a Gippsland grain transporter was convicted and fined $350,000 after a truck driver died when he fell almost four metres from the top of a trailer. WorkSafe’s investigation found the guard rail failed due to a lack of inspection and maintenance and repairs that had previously been made were poorly done. Arnold Thomas & Becker lawyer Matthew Fitzgerald, who assists our clients in the Gippsland region, said: “It is incredibly sad to think that there are still workers out there that go to work in the morning and don’t come home that night. Along with incidents involving machinery, falls from height remain a leading cause of death and serious injury in Victorian workplaces. There will be consequences for employers who fail to take these risks seriously and ensure their workplace is well-maintained and safe for their employees.” “Not only can WorkSafe impose serious fines on both companies and individuals alike, but employers can also be sued for their negligence.” Client outcomes At Arnold Thomas & Becker, we aren’t afraid to take on cases that other law firms won’t. We have successfully secured compensation for thousands of injured workers, including: • $1.97m judgment at trial for a storeman / forklift driver who successfully claimed his employer was negligent• $800,000 jury verdict for a worker injured when pulling shopping trolleys as part of his role as a trolley collector• $740,000 judgment for a nurse who was verbally assaulted and threatened on her night shift The legal system can be expensive, but that shouldn’t mean people should be locked out of getting the outcomes, benefits or justice they deserve – and that’s why we operate on a No Win No Fee basis. For more information, visit our Workers Compensation page. Contact us Arnold Thomas & Becker have locations all across Victoria, so no matter where you live, we can help you seek justice. Call us today on 1300 333 300 or send us an email at [email protected]