Van Berkel Distributors Pty Ltd pleads guilty to WorkSafe charge after employee roof death

A family run Monbulk nursery has pleaded guilty to a WorkSafe charge after an employee was killed after falling through a shed roof.

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 pleaded guilty to a single WorkSafe charge after a beloved maintenance worker fell 3.5m through the roof and died.

Van Berkel Distributors Pty Ltd fronted the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday after

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

He fell 3.5m and suffered fatal head injuries as a result of the fall.

The court heard the 66-year-old man was an “experienced, skilled and trustworthy employee” and the company was “not aware” of the maintenance works he was completing at the time of the incident.

As part of the plea Van Berkel Distributors, which is run by David Van Berkel and his family, took immediate safety steps after the accident.

This included 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 heard the company was very remorseful after the death and had set up a memorial for the employee.

The matter will return to court on February 26 when the company will be sentenced.