Falls From Heights in 2025: How Edge Protection Saves Lives & Cash

Picture this: you’ve poured concrete, frames are up and the roof trusses land tomorrow.

Spirits are high—until a single mis‑step on an exposed edge shuts the whole job down. It’s a hard truth of building in Australia: falls from heights remain one of our deadliest, most expensive safety failures. The latest Safe Work Australia data confirms the trend—15 % of all work‑related deaths in 2023 were caused by falls, and nearly half of those fatalities (45 %) happened on construction sites.

That’s the bad news. The good news? Falls are almost always preventable when edge protection is planned, installed and inspected properly. In this guide we’ll unpack the fresh stats, the true cost of a fall, and the practical steps Melbourne builders can take—right now—to protect people and profits.

Why Falls From Heights Remain Construction’s Biggest Blind Spot

Falls have stubbornly sat near the top of Australia’s fatality charts for decades, but 2023 was especially grim. Safe Work’s latest report shows a 71 % jump in deaths year‑on‑year.

Labourers, tradies and machinery operators made up almost 80 % of those who never made it home. Most incidents occurred on roofs, mezzanines and floor penetrations—places where a guardrail or temporary edge system should have been the first line of defence.

2023 Fall‑from‑Height Snapshot

• 29 worker deaths nation‑wide (up from 17 in 2022).

• 13 deaths in construction alone (45 %).

• 32 % above the five‑year average.

Falls don’t just end lives; they pull entire projects to a grinding halt.

The Hidden Costs Builders Often Miss

Beyond the moral disaster of a serious fall, there’s a financial iceberg lurking under the surface.

The average heights‑related workers‑comp claim now sits at AUD $167,000—three times the cost of non‑height claims. Add WorkSafe investigations, possible fines (SafeWork NSW issued nearly $1 million in penalties in just six months and the ripple of site shutdowns, and a single incident can erase the margin on an entire development.

Direct Costs

• Workers compensation payouts

• Medical, rehab and admin fees

• Potential court costs and fines (recent cases top AUD $400k) 

Indirect Costs

• Schedule blow‑outs while investigators comb the site

• Re‑mobilisation of trades and scaffolding once work resumes

• Soaring insurance premiums at next renewal

• Reputational damage that lingers far longer than the news cycle

Simply put, robust edge protection is cheaper than one serious fall.

Edge Protection 101: First Line of Defence

Edge protection is any engineered barrier—temporary or permanent—that stops a person (or materials) toppling from the edge of a surface higher than two metres.

Under AS/NZS 4994.2:2023 and Victorian OHS Regulations 2017, builders must eliminate fall risks so far as reasonably practicable. Where elimination isn’t feasible, compliant guardrails are the preferred control.

Common Systems We Install

Application	Preferred System	Typical Roof Profiles
New‑build pitched roofs	Lightweight roof‑edge guardrail	Klip‑Lok, corrugated tin
Multi‑storey slabs	Drop‑in post & mesh panel	Concrete slab, precast panel
Renovations / re‑roof	Rapid‑fit temporary rail	Parapet, purlin / H‑beam
Void or stairwell	In‑fill mesh or handrail	Yellow Tongue flooring

All our systems meet or exceed AS/NZS load‑rating requirements and integrate with scaffold where needed.

Compliance Check: What Victorian Regulations Demand in 2025

1. Risk assessment before work starts – identify all edges >2 m.

2. Hierarchy of control – edge protection outranks harnesses and ladders.

3. Certified systems only – to AS/NZS 4994.2:2023.

4. Installation by competent persons – trained, ticketed and insured.

5. Ongoing inspection – at set‑up, every 30 days, after severe weather, and before dismantle.

6. Records kept for 10 years – including layout drawings and inspection logs.

Fail these basics and regulators can (and do) prosecute directors personally.

Quick‑Fire Edge‑Protection Checklist for Site Supervisors

☑ Edge rail installed on every roof edge, void and balcony above 2 m.

☑ Rails withstand 0.6 kN outward force and 0.4 kN downward force.

☑ Toe‑boards fitted where there’s a risk of tools or materials falling.

☑ Any penetrations decked or railed before trades access the level.

☑ Access ladders extend 1 m above landing and are tied off.

☑ Last inspection signed off within past 30 days (retain paperwork on site).

☑ Weather or crane activity hasn’t compromised fixings.

☑ If in doubt—pause the job and call a specialist.

Next Steps: Book Your Free Edge‑Protection Site Audit

Falls from heights hurt people, budgets and reputations—but they’re preventable. If you’re unsure whether your current set‑up meets 2025 standards, let’s chat. Our safety‑qualified team will walk your site, spot the gaps and deliver a fix‑price quote—no obligation, no jargon.

Call 0438 007 511 to speak directly with Tom from Protected Edge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I rely on harnesses instead?

Harnesses are a last resort control. Victorian OHS law prefers collective fall‑prevention like guardrails ahead of individual PPE.

Do I need edge protection on a roof under two metres?

The law triggers at 2 m, but many builders fit rails on 1.8 m verandas to protect apprentices and reduce insurance excess exposure.

How fast can you install?

For metro Melbourne bookings we can usually mobilise within 24–48 hours, subject to materials.

All statistics current as of April 2025.