Van Berkel Distributors Pty Ltd fined after Petrus Groen died falling from shed roof

A family run Monbulk nursery has been fined after beloved maintenance worker Petrus Groen fell 3.5m through the roof and died.

A Monbulk plant nursery has pleaded guilty to a WorkSafe charge after the death of a maintenance manager who fell through the roof of a shed. Picture: Supplied

A family-run Monbulk nursery has been fined after beloved maintenance worker Petrus Groen fell 3.5m through the roof and died.

Van Berkel Distributors Pty Ltd fronted the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday to be sentenced after pleading guilty to a WorkSafe charge of failing to reduce the risk of a fall by using a fall arrest system.

66-year-old maintenance manager Petrus Groen was changing the roofing on a shed when he fell 3.5m through a polycarbonate roof panel in June 2022.

He suffered fatal head injuries.

The court heard Van Berkel Distributors, run by David Van Berkel and his family, was a “exemplary corporate citizen” and was cooperative with investigators.

The business took immediate action after the tragic fall to address safety concerns including banning the type of ladder used during the roof works, stopping employees from undertaking roof maintenance jobs and holding a staff meeting about the incident.

The court also previously heard the company set up a memorial for Mr Groen at the nursery.

Van Berkel Distributors was fined $65,000 without conviction and ordered to pay $8000 in costs.