Finding into death of Gary Brian Wilfert

35y · Male·HEAD INJURIES SUSTAINED IN AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT

Gary Wilfert, a 35-year-old window cleaning supervisor, died from catastrophic head injuries sustained when he fell approximately six metres from a building facade at 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. He had been assigned to clean interior glass panels at the base of a curtain wall using an elevated work platform (EWP), a task added mid-project without formal risk assessment. The coroner found he removed his safety harness and stood directly on deteriorated louvre frames with faulty locking bolts to access the cleaning area. Critical deficiencies included: no written risk assessment for this specific task despite its hazardous nature, lack of awareness regarding documented structural defects previously identified by another contractor, absence of a colleague (company policy required two workers), and inadequate planning and communication from management. The coroner emphasised that ongoing risk assessment should have led Wilfert to stop work when he discovered the dangerous condition of the louvre mechanisms.