Solar installer allegedly sends photo evidence of itself failing to protect workers

A solar, electrical, and air-conditioning services company, Mpriza Group, has been charged by NT WorkSafe for allegedly failing to ensure its workers used fall protection.

NT WorkSafe has charged manager Nicholas Zikos and his company for failing to ensure that his workers used fall protections while working from heights.

It’s alleged by NT WorkSafe that, in May 2024, electrical safety inspectors conducting random safety audits of newly installed solar PV systems went to a residential property in Katherine, where they discovered a number of mistakes. The audit completed at the property identified defects and issues of non-compliance with the solar PV system installed.

Therefore, the electrical safety inspectors issued a notice of non-compliance to the company Mpriza Group, as it was the installer, to come and fix the issues at the residential property.

Manager Zikos and two workers attended the property to comply with the notice, to which they fixed the defects and sent numerous photos to NT WorkSafe as proof of said issues and defects being fixed.

Yet through the photos that were sent to WorkSafe, the company inadvertently sent evidence of its workers operating at a height on the property that was unsafe without the proper fall protection.

According to NT WorkSafe, Mpriza Group has been charged with two breaches of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011:

• One charge under section 32 of the act for failing to comply with its health and safety duty under section 19(1).
• One charge under section 33 of the act for failing to comply with its health and safety duty, also under section 19(1).

The manager, Zikos, also faced two charges under the act for the following breaches:

• One charge under section 32 of the act for failing to comply with his health and safety duty under section 19(1).
• One charge under section 33 of the act for failing to comply with his health and safety duty, also under section 19(1).

If the company is found guilty of all charges, it faces a combined maximum penalty of $2 million, while Zikos would face a combined maximum penalty of $400,000.

This isn’t the first rodeo for this company or manager, as these charges are in addition to similar ones that NT WorkSafe initiated in December 2023.

The matter is listed for mention at the Darwin Local Court on Thursday, 22 August.