Company convicted after worker injured in fall from height at Jervis Bay worksite
On Monday 15 June 2026, Civil Project Management Group Pty Ltd trading as ‘Real Aussie Sheds’, was convicted in the ACT Magistrates Court for failing to comply with its work health and safety duties following a serious workplace incident in Jervis Bay.
The defendant was found guilty of a Category 3 offence under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, after failing to comply with its primary duty of care to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers, by exposing them to the risk of serious injury.
Magistrate Lawton imposed a fine of $65,000 on Real Aussie Sheds for the offence. A further fine of $5,000 was imposed for failing to ensure high risk construction work was carried out in accordance with a safe work method statement.
The convictions relate to an incident in July 2022 at a worksite in Jervis Bay where a worker fell from a ladder while assisting with the unloading of roof sheeting from a crane onto a shed structure during wet and windy conditions.
The Court found that Real Aussie Sheds failed to follow its own safety system, and safe work method statement, which required workers to undertake a site risk assessment and to cease work in wet or very windy conditions. Despite these requirements, the work at height was undertaken in unsafe weather conditions without appropriate controls in place to eliminate or minimise the risks.
The Court also found that safer and reasonably practicable control measures were available for the work, including the use of appropriate access equipment such as scaffolding or elevated work platforms, and fall protection systems. No such controls were implemented.
Work Health and Safety Commissioner Jacqueline Agius stated the incident shows a clear failure to prioritise worker safety.
“Disappointingly we have a situation where work has proceeded despite unsafe weather conditions, and a worker was injured as a result,”
“The decision to continue work meant other priorities were placed ahead of the health and safety of workers. This resulted in workers being put at risk and an injury occurred to a worker.”
“Duty holders must ensure the safety of workers is always their highest priority.”
Statement ends
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