In 2022 a 12-year-old boy tragically died in a fall at a residential construction site in Maddington. The site had security gates but these were often left open after hours when the site was unattended.
This fatal incident sparked an inspection campaign by WorkSafe WA. The campaign which ran from March to September 2024 was intended to both promote awareness and ensure compliance. This blog includes a summary of the findings from the report on this regulatory action.
Inspectors visited 702 worksites and issued 532 notices for failing to secure a construction worksite.
An additional 227 improvement notices, 1 prohibition notice and 27 verbal directions were also issued.
The main hazards associated with these were:
• excavations
• slips, trips and falls, including falling from height
• temporary electrical installations
• partially constructed structures
• stored construction materials.
The report was published in July 2025 and is available on WorkSafe WA’s website.