Company fined $275k over Vic painter death

A Melbourne construction company has been convicted and fined $275,000 over the death of a painter who fell 3.46 metres through a stair void.

VCON Pty Ltd pleaded guilty on Thursday in Melbourne Magistrates Court to contravening the occupational health and safety act for failing to ensure the Mornington Peninsula workplace was safe and without risk.

In February 2017, the painter fell through the void and landed on the tiled ground floor.

He was taken to hospital but died from his injuries.

WorkSafe investigated and found a wooden handrail at the edge of the first floor void near where the painter was working had been partially dislodged from one of its clamps.

It said exposing workers to the risks of falls from height was unacceptable.

"Falls from height continue to be a leading cause of serious injuries and death in Victorian workplaces," WorkSafe spokeswoman Julie Nielsen said in a statement.

VCON was also ordered to pay $7500 in costs.