The Ballarat Magistrates' Court was told a WorkSafe inspector stopped work at a building site where the company was installing solar panels after a tip-off, noting a scissor lift was being used for roof access six metres above the ground.

He observed a worker stepping off the roof and climbing over the scissor lift's rail.

He immediately stopped work at the site until the risk was managed.

A scaffold was installed at the site, which passed the return inspection.

The court was told the company pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to the breach, and had installed the scaffold immediately.

A scaffold was required as a "passive fall prevention device", which avoided any gap between the roof and the lift.

Magistrate Alan Spillane noted no one was injured on the site.

"It's not a case of a company simply ignoring its responsibilities, something was done, and the court should give the benefit of any doubt to the defendant," he said.

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