Falls from height are one of the leading causes of serious workplace injury and fatality in Australia. Under the Work Health and Safety Act, every person conducting a business or undertaking has a duty to manage working-at-height risks. That duty is not optional and it cannot be delegated away.
The right access equipment plays a direct role in meeting that duty. Poorly designed or non-compliant access systems create risk. Properly engineered aluminium height safety solutions reduce it.
At Star Aluminium, we design and manufacture aluminium access and height safety products for clients across Australia. Our products are built at our facility in Carrum Downs, Victoria, under our ISO 9001 Quality Management System. Every product we make is designed to comply with Australian Standards. Learn more about our manufacturing background on our about Star Aluminium page.
WHS Legislation and the Duty to Manage Working-at-Height Risks
The Work Health and Safety Act applies in most Australian states and territories. It places a primary duty of care on the person conducting a business or undertaking, commonly referred to as the PCBU. The PCBU must eliminate risks to health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable. Where elimination is not possible, risks must be minimised.
Working at height is one of the higher-risk activities covered by WHS legislation. Regulators and courts have consistently found that PCBUs are expected to provide proper access equipment, not rely on workers to manage height risks through caution alone.
Aluminium access platforms, walkways, stairs and gangways are among the primary controls used to manage height risk. When these products are designed and manufactured to comply with Australian Standards, they support the PCBU’s ability to demonstrate that reasonable practicable steps were taken.
What “Reasonably Practicable” Means for Access Equipment
WHS legislation does not require the elimination of all risk. It requires that risks be reduced to a level that is reasonably practicable. For working at height, this generally means providing compliant access equipment where a task requires repeated or ongoing work at elevation.
Factors that regulators consider include the severity of the potential harm, the likelihood of that harm occurring, and the cost and availability of control measures. Purpose-built aluminium access platforms are widely regarded as an appropriate and available control for most industrial working-at-height scenarios.
We can assist clients in understanding which products apply to their site and what compliance obligations are relevant to their sector. Contact our team to discuss your project and we will help identify the right solution.
What We Design and Manufacture
Star Aluminium specialises in aluminium access and height safety products for industrial, infrastructure and commercial clients. Our standard range includes:
- Aluminium work platforms: mobile and fixed, for warehousing, industrial and construction environments
- Truck access platforms: for safe loading dock and vehicle access
- Aluminium gangway systems: for bridging gaps in fixed and floating infrastructure
- Walkway systems: for permanent overhead and elevated access routes
- Mezzanine access ladders: for compliant level-change access in warehouses and factories
- Maintenance access solutions
- Custom access platforms built to specification
Every product complies with the relevant Australian Standards for access and height safety equipment. We manufacture both standard ranges and fully custom-designed solutions. Custom projects are scoped, designed and fabricated in-house at Carrum Downs.
Site-Specific Risk Assessment and Custom Access Design
No two sites carry the same working-at-height risk profile. A platform that works in a warehouse may not meet the requirements of a mining site or an aircraft maintenance facility. WHS legislation expects that controls are appropriate for the specific hazard, not generic.
We work closely with each client before design begins. Our process starts with understanding the site-specific risks and operational requirements. We assess the access needs, the environment, the frequency of use, and the compliance obligations that apply to the project.
From that assessment, we develop a solution, whether that is a product from our standard range such as our aluminium work platforms, or a purpose-built access system. We collaborate with engineers, project managers, contractors and facility operators throughout the process.
This approach reduces the risk of purchasing equipment that does not fit the intended use. It also supports the client’s ability to demonstrate that access controls were selected with the specific hazard in mind, which is relevant in the event of a WHS inspection or incident investigation.
Sectors We Supply Across Australia
Star Aluminium supplies height safety access products across a wide range of sectors. Each sector carries distinct WHS obligations and access requirements. Our clients include organisations in:
- Government and public infrastructure
- Defence
- Mining
- Aviation
- Rail
- Construction
- Transport and logistics
- Utilities
- General industry
Major infrastructure projects across Victoria and nationally have included our access systems. In aviation, our platforms are used to access aircraft. In mining and rail, our products support maintenance access where the consequences of a fall are severe and WHS obligations are actively enforced.
For transport and logistics operations, our truck access platforms provide safe, compliant access to vehicle rooftops and loading areas. For elevated walkways and overhead routes, our walkway systems and aluminium gangway systems are used across construction, utilities and industrial facilities.
We understand that procurement officers and safety managers in regulated sectors need more than a product catalogue. They need a supplier who understands the compliance context and can support documentation requirements.
ISO 9001 Certification and Australian Standards Compliance
Every product Star Aluminium manufactures is produced under our ISO 9001 Quality Management System. ISO 9001 certification provides a documented framework for consistent quality at every stage: materials sourcing, fabrication, inspection and delivery.
For clients in regulated sectors, ISO 9001 certification from a supplier carries weight. It demonstrates that the manufacturer operates systematic quality controls, not just reactive quality checks when something goes wrong.
Our products comply with the relevant Australian Standards for height safety and access equipment. We do not list specific standard numbers here because standards are reviewed periodically and the applicable standard depends on the product type and the application. Contact our team and we will confirm which standards apply to your project.
We can also provide guidance on WHS legislation obligations and help clients understand their legal duties in relation to working-at-height access. This is part of the support we offer, not an add-on.
Custom Design and Local Manufacturing in Carrum Downs
Our Carrum Downs facility handles design, fabrication and quality control under one roof. This gives us direct control over the product at every stage, which is important for compliance and consistency.
For projects outside our standard range, our sales engineering team manages the full process. We take a project from initial scope through to production and delivery. We work with clients across all sectors to develop solutions that meet site requirements, applicable standards and operational conditions.
Custom-designed access systems are often required when a site has non-standard dimensions, unusual load requirements, or access restrictions that a catalogue product cannot address. In those cases, purpose-built equipment is the appropriate WHS control.
Our manufacturing is based in Victoria. We continue to invest in our production capability and support Australian jobs. Read more on our about Star Aluminium page.
Structural Confidence and Ongoing Customer Support
We build access systems designed to last. That starts with robust engineering and quality workmanship. It continues with ongoing customer support after delivery.
WHS obligations do not end at the point of purchase. Ongoing inspection, maintenance and documentation are part of managing working-at-height risk over the life of the equipment. We provide lifetime structural confidence in every product we manufacture and our team is available if clients have questions after installation.
We use customer feedback to guide how our products develop. Where clients identify gaps in performance or usability, that input feeds directly into our manufacturing improvement process. Our investment in manufacturing technologies is focused on one outcome: safer and more efficient access solutions for clients working at height across Australia.
Our commitment is to build long-term client relationships. That means delivering on time, communicating clearly and standing behind every product we make.
Our Mission and Vision
Our mission is to make every Australian workplace safer through aluminium access solutions engineered for quality, built to last and designed to protect people.
Our vision is to become Australia’s most trusted manufacturer of aluminium access and height safety solutions, by setting the benchmark for quality, service and workplace safety.
Those statements describe how we approach every project: with the intent to deliver something reliable, compliant and safe. WHS compliance is not a box we help clients tick. It is the reason we build what we build.
Source WHS-Compliant Aluminium Access Equipment from Star Aluminium
Star Aluminium supplies access platforms, walkways, gangways, truck access platforms and custom aluminium fabrications to clients across Australia. Our team includes qualified welders, design engineers and sales engineers.
If your site or project requires height safety access equipment, contact our team to discuss your project. For custom builds, our sales engineering team will assess your specifications and provide a quote.
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