Steel fabrication company Elsdon has admitted responsibility in Perth Magistrates Court for the 2020 roof collapse at Curtin University that killed apprentice Jonathan Hartshorn, 23, and seriously injured another worker, six years after the incident.
Elsdon pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety of a person who was not an employee, and to causing death and injury. The court was shown CCTV footage of the collapse at the university's Bentley campus, which was a Lendlease project, showing the two workers standing on the roof before falling as it gave way.
Mr Hartshorn, described by the ABC as an apprentice carpenter, died in the collapse. Fellow worker Rikki Issitt, who fell more than 20 metres, told the court he thought he was going to die and has since suffered multiple injuries, including to his spine and pelvis, that have prevented him from working. Two other workers under the canopy were also injured.
The court heard the welding of trusses was not done to specification and was not overseen by a qualified supervisor. Prosecutor Eric Heenan said the majority of welds inspected after the incident had defects. He told the court Elsdon's defence was that it did not know it was sending inadequate welds to the site, but there had been "no procedures, no qualified welder, no supervisor, no test".
In emotional statements, Mr Issitt said the accident had taken away his career and caused years of pain and psychological distress. Mr Hartshorn's mother, Susan Chappell, said her son "had a right to go home at the end of that day" and was a hardworking apprentice whose "future was torn from underneath him". His partner, Kylie Galende, said in a statement: "He made me feel safe. And then in one moment he was gone."
Other reports of the incident identify the victim as Jonnie Hartshorn, an apprentice glazier, and describe the same October 2020 collapse.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case highlights accountability for workplace deaths on large construction projects, where subcontractors' failures can prove fatal.
- Six years after the incident, the guilty plea brings the prospect of a sentencing outcome for the victim's family and surviving workers.
- The court's findings on inadequate welding and lack of supervision raise broader questions about quality control across the construction supply chain.
Background
Elsdon was a steel fabrication company engaged on a Lendlease project at Curtin University's Bentley campus. In October 2020, a roof collapsed while workers were on it, killing one apprentice and seriously injuring another. The case, heard in Perth Magistrates Court, centres on the company's duty of care to workers who were not its direct employees. Workplace health and safety prosecutions in Western Australia can result in significant fines or other penalties, though sentencing details have not yet been reported.
Key Perspectives
Elsdon (defendant): The company admitted responsibility but argued it did not know it was sending inadequate welds to the site. Its defence pointed to an absence of procedures, qualified welders, supervision and testing.
Prosecution: Argued the majority of inspected welds had defects and that Elsdon had no systems in place to prevent them being used.
Victims and families: The court heard of the long-term physical and psychological impact on Mr Issitt and the devastation of Mr Hartshorn's family and partner, who described his loss in personal statements.
Workplace safety advocates: The case is likely to be seen as an example of how failures in subcontractor oversight can have fatal consequences, reinforcing calls for stronger verification of work quality on building sites.
What to Watch
- The sentencing outcome and any penalty imposed by the Perth Magistrates Court.
- Whether the case prompts further action against other parties involved in the Lendlease project.
- Whether regulators or industry bodies use the findings to strengthen welding supervision requirements on construction sites.