Victorian worker fatally electrocuted

An investigation is underway by WorkSafe Victoria (WorkSafe) after a worker was fatally electrocuted while installing irrigation at an orchard in Koonoomoo, near Cobram in Victoria, on Thursday (11 September).

The deceased “was handling a 6.5 metre length of aluminium pole when electricity from an overhead power line passed through it, causing electrocution”, found WorkSafe.

The 49-year-old man was believed to be working alone when the incident took place.

The worker was reported missing on Thursday, before he was found deceased by a colleague at about 2pm on Friday.

WorkSafe said that this was the 36th confirmed fatality in Victoria this year, and there were 38 work-related deaths at the same time last year.

In August, the head of global training at Avetta, Sharon Macquarie, told HR Leader that competency among workers in high-risk industries is unsatisfactory.

She claimed that the issue lies in the higher priority placed on compliance as opposed to competency: “The gap I continue to see is that there’s a gulf between completion of regulatory adherent training and the ability to apply that knowledge capably and competently across an entire organisation, including subcontractors.”

This news coincided with HR Leader’s reporting in the same month, noting that 123 successful workplace health and safety prosecutions were recorded for FY2024–25, with a monetary increase of $1.1 million compared to the previous year.

WorkSafe’s chief health and safety officer, Sam Jenkin, said: “WorkSafe has set ambitious prevention targets for the next five years to reduce work-related fatalities by 30 per cent and injuries by 20 per cent, but we know we can’t do it alone.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for WorkSafe and the Transport Accident Commission, Ben Carroll, said: “Every workplace death is unacceptable – that’s why we are working towards a future of zero deaths and zero excuses.”