A fatal ladder fall at a Melbourne construction site has prompted WorkSafe Victoria to urge more care when people work at height.

A 53-year-old man died in hospital after falling 4.3 metres from a ladder on a mezzanine floor to the ground floor of a building in Maidstone on Friday.

His death comes as the work cover authority reveals 20 people are injured in falls at Victorian workplaces every week.

Whenever there’s a chance a construction worker could fall more than two metres, employers are required to outline in a document how they’re managing that risk.

But WorkSafe health and safety director Marnie Williams says death or permanent injuries don’t only occur in falls from a significant height.

“Don’t assume that because you have never had a fall, your site is working safely,” Ms Williams said in a statement.

“It may just mean you have been lucky – but safety can never be left to chance.”

Employers and contractors are urged to try to perform what work they can from the ground or from a solid construction, use fall prevention devices like perimeter screens and restraint systems such as harnesses.

By Luke Costin