Date of incident: April 2025
Notice of incident number: 2025188200002
Employer: Homeowner

Incident summary
As part of a home renovation project, two volunteers (non-workers) and a worker were lowering a house approximately 60 cm (24 in.) onto a new support system (foundation). In the process of being lowered, the house shifted and collapsed onto them. The two volunteers sustained fatal injuries, and the worker sustained serious injuries.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Structure was unstable and collapsed. The house was more than a metre off the ground, supported by nine posts without any lateral bracing or temporary cribbing. The unstable structure shifted and fell.

Contributing factors

• Lack of effective work procedures. The work procedures developed and used to lower the house did not address potential lateral forces that could be introduced, such as those resulting from wind or jacking procedures, as the house was being lowered post by post.
• Windy weather conditions. At the time of the incident, both the worker and local weather stations reported an increase in wind. The south side of the house would have been exposed to the wind, which likely introduced a lateral force to the house.

Request the full report