LAWLOIT, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA — WorkSafe Victoria announced on 2 November 2026 that it has charged BCivil Recruitment Pty Ltd following the death of a traffic-management worker on the Western Highway at Lawloit. The prosecution concerns workplace procedures around passing vehicles; the charges have not been determined by a court.
Charges follow a January 2025 death
The 55-year-old worker was collecting road signs with a colleague between Kaniva and Nhill in January 2025 when a passing truck struck him. He died at the scene. Today's development is the regulator's prosecution announcement, rather than a newly occurring fatality.
The company faces two charges under Victoria's Occupational Health and Safety Act. One concerns its duty to employees under section 21(1), including the provision of a safe system of work under section 21(2)(a). The other concerns risks to people outside its workforce under section 23(1).
Road-sign collection procedure is central to the allegations
WorkSafe alleges a safer collection method should have kept workers moving in the direction of traffic, completing one roadside before the opposite side and avoiding the need to cross live lanes. These are allegations about the work system, not judicial findings of a breach.
A filing hearing is listed at Horsham Magistrates' Court for 4 November 2026. The Herald Sun reported that the company declined to provide a response.
Why this matters for roadside work
HSE Blog analysis: Removing temporary signs is part of the work activity and needs planning alongside installation. Employers reviewing their own operations should examine where workers walk, how equipment is collected and their separation from moving vehicles. Our guide to traffic safety equipment explains the roles of signs, barriers and other work-zone devices. It does not establish what occurred in this case.
Sources and image transparency
Checked against WorkSafe Victoria's 2 November announcement, On Notice's account of the charges and the Herald Sun's reporting. Three publishing organisations were located, below the preferred five-to-six source target; their coverage overlaps on the regulator's allegations. The featured artwork is an illustration. No actual-event photograph with confirmed reuse permission was found.
Source
WorkSafe Victoriaworksafe.vic.gov.au
