A 24-year-old man is in critical condition and has undergone surgery after falling four metres off a vat of wine.  According to authorities, the incident occurred on 15 July 2008. The man was cleaning the vat at an estate in Frankland, Western Australia, when his ladder slipped and he fell to the concrete floor. A rescue helicopter transported the accident victim to the Royal Perth  Hospital, where doctors say he is in critical condition.

(Safe-To-Work 16-Jul-2008)

A worker of 100kg will generate over 15 kN (KiloNewtons) of force in a free fall of only 2 metres.  A kN is approximately 100 kg of force. In a 4 metre fall the forces on the body on impact would amount to several tonnes.  In that free fall the body will accelerate at 9.81 metres per second.  There are numerous safety solutions for work on a ladder at height.  A correctly fitted full body harness, a suitable shock absorbing lanyard or self retracting lifeline and an engineer rated anchor point would have prevented this incident.  The approximate cost for that PPE would be well under $2000.  No where near the costs now facing the recovery of the man and the legal implications for the company.  One would have to ask what procedures will be used now since no doubt, cleaning must be an ongoing process.