Construction worker Gregory ‘Robbo’ Roberts killed by tape measure, Coroner finds

A tradie, formerly from Ballarat, was tragically killed after he touched a high voltage powerline with one of his tools, a Coroner has ruled.

A Coroner has found an Ocean Grove builder died from the serious injuries he sustained after touching a high voltage powerline with a metal tape measure.

Coroner Paresa Antoniadis Spanos this week released her findings into the death of builder Gregory “Robbo” Roberts, 37, at a St Leonards home he was renovating three years ago.

The home, located on the corner of The Esplanade and Second Ave, had been demolished in August and September 2019.

Mr Roberts — the owner and operator of Redstone Building Co — and two carpenters had been working on renovating the second storey of the house in the months afterwards.

Jackson, 5, Austin, 4, and twins Hughey and Cooper, 2, with dad Greg ‘Robbo’ Roberts, 37, who was killed in a workplace accident.

November 25 was windy — “strong and gusty and swirling” — and the husband and father of four had been working on the top level of scaffolding to prepare the roof rafters for fitting of the fascia and box gutters.

But about 3.30pm, his colleague, who was working downstairs, witnessed a “massive flash” and “heard a loud bang”.

The findings show the same colleague then saw Mr Roberts fall backwards off the scaffolding and land on timber joist and bearers about 2m below.

Another colleague, who had also been working upstairs, had felt the heat from the arcing powerlines on his back and face and turned to see sparks coming from the scaffolding before Mr Roberts fell.

Mr Roberts initially regained consciousness but could not move and had difficulty breathing.

Paramedics arrived minutes later to discover he had burns on his face, check, back, abdomen and arms.

He was conscious and described his pain as 10/10.

The construction site on the Esplanade, St Leonards. Picture: Alan Barber

Mr Roberts suffered a cardiac arrest as he was being moved from the first to the ground floor but paramedics were able to resuscitate him so he could be flown to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne, where doctors discovered the extent of his injuries.

He was found to have sustained serious injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, skull fracture and multiple other fractures.

Sadly, his condition continued to deteriorate and his life support was removed. He died in hospital at 3.15pm on November 30.

The former Ballarat man left behind a wife and four young boys.

WorkSafe, Energy Safe Victoria and Powercor immediately began investigations into the incident.

They found Mr Roberts had been using a metal tape measure and was electrocuted when it made contact with a high voltage aerial line.

Louise Roberts, Jackson, 5, Austin 4, and twins Hughey and Cooper, 2, with dad Greg Roberts.

The documents show Powercor had recently issued a permit for a low-voltage service line to be connected to the property, but had not issued a permit for the 22,000 volt line.

Further, it was found that Mr Roberts had been too close to the aerial line, and the scaffolding he was standing on did not comply with guidelines.

The documents show WorkSafe had commenced a prosecution case against Mr Roberts’ company, Redstone Building Co, but it was determined not to be in the public interest to pursue it.

However the company which had erected the scaffolding, Lime Scaffolding By Design, subsequently pleaded guilty to one charge.

The company was sentenced, without conviction, and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine and more than $4800 in costs.

There have been nine fatalities as the result of electrical incidents in Victoria since 2010, prompting WorkSafe to conduct education campaigns.

Coroner Spanos found Mr Roberts’s cause of death was the “result of an accident when he inadvertently touched the high voltage aerial powerline with a metal tape measure during the course of his employment”.

“The subsequent electrocution and fall caused significant injuries that resulted in his death.”

She did not make any recommendations.