WorkSafe Victoria is launching a statewide inspection program to drive down deaths and injuries in the waste and recycling transport industry.
The regulator has announced that inspectors will be visiting known workplaces in the sector from this week, targeting safety issues around loading and unloading, vehicle maintenance and load restraint.
Tragically, eight truck drivers and garbage collectors engaged in waste and recycling transport have been killed since 2019, most commonly due to vehicles rolling away or being involved in crashes.
The tragic deaths include two workers crushed between their trucks and brick walls in separate incidents at St Albans in July 2021 and in Melbourne's CBD in June 2023.
In addition to the fatalities, more than 400 truck drivers and garbage collectors in the waste and recycling sector have been injured seriously enough to receive workers compensation in the past five years. Body stressing, falls, being hit by moving objects and vehicle incidents accounted for the majority of injuries.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said the transportation of waste carried unique risks that employers must take every reasonable step to control. "Workers in the waste transport sector often work in confined conditions with unpredictable loads that can become unstable, while improper maintenance can lead to damaged vehicles, skips, bins and lifting gear – putting workers and others at risk," Mr Jenkin said.
The focus on waste management transport is part of a wider WorkSafe push to improve safety in the heavy vehicle transport industry, through strategic visits, compliance and enforcement, and industry partnerships.
Read more: Inspections put spotlight on waste transport harm | WorkSafe Victoria