WorkSafe Victoria

WHS duty extends to psychosocial hazards — workload, bullying, harassment, role conflict.

From 1 December 2026 the 0.05 mg/m³ silica standard becomes a legally binding workplace exposure limit (WEL).

Death, serious injury, illness or dangerous incident must be notified to WorkSafe immediately.

All construction site workers must have completed nationally recognised induction training (CPCWHS1001).

Asbestos work requires licensed asbestos removalist + asbestos management plan.

Before high risk construction work starts, a SWMS must identify the work, its hazards and risks, the control measures, and how they are implemented, monitored and reviewed.

Victorian employers must so far as reasonably practicable provide and maintain a safe working environment.

PCBUs must manage psychosocial risk under WHS Acts + state codes.

Forklift, crane, scaffolding, dogging, rigging, EWP and other high-risk work requires a HRWL.

Hire equipment provider whose technician serviced the boom lift the morning of the fatal North Blackburn incident. It should have identified the disconnected operator protection alarm and withdrawn the lift from use.

A plumbing company's worker was crushed against an overhead steel frame while in a boom lift at a North Blackburn site in August 2023 and died. No spotter was used and the boom lift's operator protection alarm was disconnected; the company lacked a daily pre-start inspection system.

Steel subcontractor on the Kew Recreational Centre job that outsourced fabrication of the GT1 truss to a China-based firm without having welding/QA documents verified before erection. The truss failed and part of the building collapsed in October 2022. Company now in liquidation; sentenced ex parte after a guilty finding.

Transport firm supplying trucks and drivers to a Dandenong South commercial laundry. In June 2023 a driver fell about 1.2 m from a truck tailgate used as a loading bridge and died; the tailgate had no fall protection rails.

Trading as Centenary Bakehouse, the company had workers remove suspended insulation panels from a bakery roof space in Reservoir with no fall controls; harnesses were on site but not required. A worker fell about four metres in August 2021 and died. Second workplace manslaughter prosecution in Victoria; largest fine for a single offence under Victoria's workplace safety laws.

Social enterprise employing people with disability; a legally blind worker using a walker fell down stairs near the upstairs meal room in December 2022 and later died. A near miss with the same worker months earlier had not led to supervision controls.

Aged care provider did not give all staff training on PPE use, donning/doffing and identifying suspected COVID-19 cases in early 2020. After a staff member tested positive in July 2020, 45 workers developed COVID-19.

Poultry farm operator whose manure conveyor tail pulley guard was routinely removed for adjustments. A worker became entangled in the unguarded pulley in March 2023 and died; interlocked guarding or a jog function was practicable.

Principal contractor on the Kew Recreational Centre redevelopment; imported steel truss quality documents allegedly were not verified by a competent person before erection. A welded connection failed in October 2022 and part of the structure collapsed (no one on site).

Roofing contractor repeatedly had workers on residential roofs in Fraser Rise, Clyde North and Mickleham without guard rails, harnesses or a SWMS during 2023-2024, including the day after an improvement notice directed work to stop. Two aggregate fines of $350,000 each imposed ex parte.

Disability service provider whose overnight carer did not respond to a seizure-mat alarm when a client fell from bed in May 2021; the client was not checked for over seven hours and died. The provider also failed to notify WorkSafe until January 2022.

Public health service operating an aged care facility had no system to assess, maintain and tag recliner chairs used to move residents. In October 2021 a chair back detached and a 93-year-old resident fell, suffering fractures; she died a week later.

As principal contractor replacing rail plates between Flagstaff and Southern Cross stations in January 2023, the company allegedly carried out high-risk crystalline silica work without adequate risk assessment; air monitoring exceeded the exposure standard. Also alleged failure to notify WorkSafe of a burns incident.

Trading as Laundry Services Australia, operator of the Dandenong South laundry where a contracted driver fell from a tailgate in June 2023 and died. It admitted swing gates at the dock could have been installed for trucks lacking handrails.

Worker died after being crushed by a falling steel beam at a construction site. Company found to have negligently caused the death.