Solar installer charged for continuing to ignore fall from heights risk

NT WorkSafe has charged solar, electrical and air-conditioning services company Mpriza Group Pty Ltd, and its manager Mr Nicholas Zikos for failing to ensure its workers used fall protection while working at heights.

NT WorkSafe will allege that in May 2024, Electrical Safety Inspectors conducting random safety audits of newly installed solar PV systems attended a residential property in Katherine. The audit completed at the property identified a series of electrical defects and issues of non-compliance with the solar PV system installed.

Electrical Safety Inspectors issued a notice of non-compliance to Mpriza Group, as the installers, to fix the issues.

Mr Nicholas Zikos and two workers attended the property to comply with the notice, and a series of photos were taken and sent to NT WorkSafe as proof the issues and defects had been fixed. Unfortunately for Mpriza Group and Mr Zikos, the company inadvertently sent evidence their workers had been working at height at the property without fall protection.

Mpriza Group has been charged with the following two breaches of the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011 (the Act):

• 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).

Mr Nicholas Zikos also faces 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 found guilty of all charges, Mpriza Group Pty Ltd faces a combined maximum penalty of $2 million, whilst Mr Zikos faces a combined maximum penalty of $400,000.

These charges are in addition to the charges Mpriza Group and Mr Zikos face due to the prosecution NT WorkSafe initiated in December 2023 for similar offences.

The matter is listed for mention at the Darwin Local Court on Thursday 22 August at 9.30am.