Elevator companies charged with manslaughter over Melbourne electrician’s death

Two elevator companies have been charged with workplace manslaughter after an apprentice electrician died at a West Melbourne apartment.

Nordic Elevators and Nordic Elevator Services have been charged with workplace manslaughter following a near two-year-long investigation. Picture: Alan Barber

Two elevator companies have been charged with workplace manslaughter following the death of an apprentice electrician.

Nordic Elevators and Nordic Elevator Services were both charged on Wednesday following a near two-year-long investigation.

The apprentice electrician, aged 21, was performing maintenance work on a car lift at a West Melbourne apartment building in March 2021.

He was working alone at the time.

Both companies are facing a single charge of workplace manslaughter.

Nordic Elevators has also been charged with failing to provide employees with the necessary supervision to perform their work safely.

Nordic Elevator Services has also been charged with failing to provide and maintain safe systems of work and failing to ensure people other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.

In October last year safety watchdog WorkSafe charged an employer with workplace manslaughter for the first time.

The state government introduced workplace manslaughter provisions into the OHS Act in July 2020.

The maximum penalty for the offence is up to 25 years jail for an individual.

The elevator companies will face the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on March 1 for a filing hearing.