A Queensland school has been fined $200,000 for the death of a staff member. 

Toowoomba Christian College has admitted to breaking workplace health and safety regulations in connection with the death of groundsman James Norton. 

The 67-year-old lost his life in 2022 after falling from a scissor lift while working alone to repair sections of an indoor sports centre.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard that the scissor lift, used by Mr Norton, hit a wall and toppled over, resulting in him being discovered unconscious and bleeding from the head. 

Despite efforts to save him, Norton succumbed to a traumatic brain injury in palliative care in Toowoomba in March 2022.

Prosecutors revealed that an examination of the scissor lift uncovered multiple safety issues, including the disabling of the speed-limiting device with electrical tape and a malfunctioning joystick controller. 

The court heard that a basic inspection would have identified these hazards.

Tom Ward from the Office of the Workplace Health and Safety Prosecutor says the school neglected to implement essential safety measures, leaving workers exposed to obvious and foreseeable risks. 

The court acknowledged the school's subsequent efforts to enhance safety, but Magistrate Clare Kelly noted that steps to minimise risks should have been taken before the incident. 

Magistrate Kelly imposed a $200,000 fine on Toowoomba Christian College. 

No conviction was recorded, partly due to the school's cooperation with authorities and significant post-incident safety improvements, including an expenditure of nearly $300,000.