Victoria is amping-up its regulatory focus on the workplaces and hazards causing the greatest harm, with WorkSafe Victoria inspectors to gain expanded powers to issue on-the-spot fines for certain safety breaches.
WorkSafe and TAC Minister Steve Dimopoulos announced the changes during a visit to WorkSafe’s Geelong headquarters, where he met newly recruited inspectors funded by the Victorian Government.
Under the changes, offences relating to failures to prevent falls from height will be added to the infringement offences listed in Schedule 20 of the OHS Regulations. This will allow WorkSafe inspectors to issue infringement notices when they observe relevant height-safety breaches, rather than relying solely on prosecution through the courts.
The expansion follows recent reforms that substantially increased the maximum penalties available through Victoria’s infringement-notice regime. Maximum penalties increased from 10 penalty units to 60 penalty units, with 60 units equating to $12,546 in the 2026–27 financial year.
The legislative package also introduced officer due diligence duties broadly aligned with the national model WHS approach and overhauled Victoria’s dangerous goods laws.
The latest enforcement focus reflects WorkSafe’s stated intention to concentrate resources on the hazards and industries associated with the greatest workplace harm. The five priority hazards identified by the Minister are falls; vehicles and machinery; hazardous manual handling; workplace violence; and psychosocial risks.
The industries identified as having the highest levels of risk are construction, healthcare and social assistance, government, agriculture and transport. Together, these industries accounted for more than 60% of Victoria’s 61 workplace deaths last year and 55% of the state’s 26,323 injury claims.
Construction remains a particular concern, with 26 workers killed and more than 10,600 injured over three years. Falls from height remain a significant contributor to workplace fatalities.
For employers and workers, the expansion of infringement notices reinforces the importance of identifying and controlling fall hazards before work begins. The prospect of an on-the-spot penalty also places greater emphasis on visible compliance with basic height-safety requirements.
“No worker should risk their life just going to work,” Dimopoulos said, adding that the government would continue supporting employers who do the right thing while taking action against those who do not.
Read more: Crackdown On Workplaces Putting Lives At Risk | Premier