Roofer Dies After Eight-Metre Fall

What happened

A 55-year-old roofer tragically died after falling about eight metres through a fragile roof surface at a commercial factory in Vermont, Victoria. He landed on a concrete floor around 10.30am and sustained serious head injuries, later passing away in hospital.
This marks the 41st confirmed workplace death in Victoria for 2025.

Why this matters

This incident underscores the ever-present risk of working at height and the need for robust safety controls especially when dealing with surfaces that may not support weight. Even experienced tradespeople are vulnerable when the system fails.

Key takeaways for safer sites

• Always check that roof surfaces are rated for access and are secured or protected if they are fragile.
• Ensure fall prevention measures are in place (guardrails, fall arrest systems, etc) before workers go up.
• If there’s any doubt about integrity of surface or structure stop work and assess.
• Make sure workers are inducted, supervised and equipped for working at height hazards.
• Incident like this shows that complacency or “we’ve done this before” mindset can cost lives.

TL;DR

• A roofer fell approx eight metres through a fragile roof and died (28 Oct 2025) WorkSafe Victoria
• The site was a commercial factory in Vermont, VIC and the surface failed beneath him.
• This is the 41st workplace fatality in Victoria this year, emphasising a serious safety gap.