Robot manufacturer GeekPlus and Australian department store chain Myer will face a court hearing in Melbourne on September 28, relating to charges following a workplace fatality when a man died after he came into contact with an “energised and operating automated robot” at a distribution centre.

The fatal accident happened in September 2024.

Myer faces two charges under section 21(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing to provide or maintain a safe working environment. It faces a further two charges under section 23(1) of the OHS Act for failing to ensure persons other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.

Robot manufacturer GeekPlus Australia also faces two charges under section 21(1) of the OHS Act for failing to provide or maintain a safe working environment.

Victorian safety body WorkSafe alleges Myer breached section 21(2)(a) of the OHS Act by failing to provide or maintain safe plant “when it failed to ensure access points to the grid where the automated robots operated were guarded by an interlocked physical barrier”.

WorkSafe further alleges the company breached section 21(2)(a) of the OHS Act by failing to provide or maintain safe systems of work when it failed to ensure access only occurred after the grid was de-energised and locked-out.

WorkSafe alleges GeekPlus Australia failed to provide or maintain a safe system of work by failing to ensure access to the grid only occurred once the automated robots were de-energised and failed to provide necessary supervision to ensure that its employees did not access the energised grid.

WorkSafe is also investigating another workplace death where a man was crushed against pallet racking. The accident happened at a warehouse in Tottenham, in Melbourne’s west.

WorkSafe Victoria states: “It is understood the 54-year-old man was crushed against pallet racking by a load that dislodged from the reach stacker he was standing beside”.

Emergency services attended the scene but were unable to revive man. A formal report on the accident will now be prepared for the coroner.

WorkSafe Victoria states the man’s death is the 33rd confirmed workplace fatality in Victoria for 2026. It adds there were 45 work-related deaths at the same time last year.