SafetyNet Journal

UNIONS NSW BYSTANDER STUDY – READY, WILLING, UNABLE

Posted on 3 December 2025

In a survey of 940 workers from education, transport, health, emergency services, community and disability services industries, Unions NSW has examined the attitudes of bystanders...

KONSTRUKTEUR FINED $100K FOR INCIDENT LEADING TO SERIOUS LIFETIME DISABILITY

Posted on 3 December 2025

Konstrukteur Pty Ltd, a property maintenance and renovation company, has been convicted following an incident that resulted in a contractor sustaining serious, life-threatening injuries. The...

WORKSAFE CHARGES EDUCATION DEPT AFTER STUDENT SEVERS FINGERTIPS

Posted on 3 December 2025

Following an incident at Beechworth Secondary College in 2024, WorkSafe has charged the Department of Education with three charges under s.23(1) of the OHS Act...

WORKSAFE REMINDS EMPLOYERS PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH IS NOW PRIORITY

Posted on 3 December 2025

Victorian employers must now take specific steps to identify psychosocial hazards and control work-related risks to mental health. From 1 December he Occupational Health and...

WORKSAFE CHARGES BALLARAT MINING COMPANIES AFTER FATAL ROCKFALL

Posted on 3 December 2025

In response to the Ballarat Gold Mine rockfall that killed one worker and seriously injured another WorkSafe has charged two companies with breaches of s.21...

CARBON MONOXIDE LEAK LEADS TO MULTIPLE HOSPITALISATIONS

Posted on 3 December 2025

Emergency services were called to a meat processing facility in Derrimut on Monday after a carbon monoxide leak affected dozens of workers. Twenty-one workers were...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 3 December 2025

Hi Renata - Can my boss make us stay at work when the toilets will not flush? Your employer has a duty under s.21 of...

ETU ISSUES SAFETY ALERT: ASBESTOS DETECTED IN WIND TOWER LIFT BRAKES

Posted on 3 December 2025

The ETU has issued an urgent safety alert notifying members of asbestos detected in wind tower lift brakes at multiple locations. It must be stressed...

CANADA’S OHS INSURANCE BOARD FUNDS RESEARCH INTO CHRONIC PAIN

Posted on 26 November 2025

Pain is invisible, but to people who experience it for months or even years, it can be a debilitating and life-altering reality. The Canadian Ontario...

DPP APPEALS WW MASONRY SENTENCE: FINE MORE THAN TRIPLED

Posted on 26 November 2025

In July SafetyNet reported on the prosecution of WW Masonry Pty Ltd for failing to provide a safe workplace and failure to comply with an...

ACT RELEASES CODE OF PRACTICE: MANAGING RISKS OF EXTREME TEMPERATURES

Posted on 26 November 2025

In the lead up to summer the ACT has released its unique Code of Practice: Managing the risks associated with extreme temperatures. The Code recognises...

NATIONAL ASBESTOS AWARENESS WEEK 24 – 30 NOVEMBER

Posted on 26 November 2025

This week is National Asbestos Awareness Week (NAAW) - held from Monday 24 November to Sunday 30 November. Since 31 December 2003 asbestos has been...

WORKSAFE URGES WORKPLACES TO PUT SAFETY FIRST AT END OF YEAR

Posted on 26 November 2025

As the end of the year fast approaches, demand in many workplaces increases with higher workloads and extra pressure contributing to fatigue and the temptation...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 26 November 2025

My boss has replaced our old forklift truck with a second-hand one and it doesn’t have a reversing beeper. Are there any guidelines around what...

AMWU REPORT: WOMEN’S VOICES FROM THE FLOOR

Posted on 26 November 2025

The AMWU has launched their Women’s Voices from the Floor report — stories that make it clear that the mining, manufacturing and automotive industries must...

RTBU REPORT SHOWS DANGEROUS AND UNDIGNIFIED TOILET AMENITIES

Posted on 26 November 2025

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) has released a new report showing that three quarters of women working in Australian transport are suffering health...

UNIONS WELCOME NEW AI SAFETY INSTITUTE AS FSU DETAILS DIGITAL ‘JUST TRANSITION’

Posted on 26 November 2025

The Federal Government announced this week that Australia will follow in the footsteps of the EU, US, UK, Japan, Canada and other major economies by...

UNION WOMEN WIN! – HISTORIC BILL TO END NDAs BECOMES LAW

Posted on 26 November 2025

Historic legislation to end the misuse of non-disclosure agreements in workplace sexual harassment matters has passed in Victoria! This landmark achievement belongs to every victim-survivor...

$40K FINE AFTER BUS DRIVER CRUSHED BETWEEN BUSES

Posted on 19 November 2025

WRL Management Pty Ltd is a transport company specialising in school bus, taxi and private charter services in South Gippsland. Following a 2022 incident in...

SWA TELLS EMPLOYERS TO ACT ON NEW FUMES LIMIT

Posted on 19 November 2025

From 17 November 2025 the workplace exposure standard (WES) for aluminium welding fumes will be slashed by 80%, from an eight-hour time-weighted average of five...

SAFETY ALERT – DEMOLISHING BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES

Posted on 19 November 2025

Following the October death of a 49-year-old man in Avondale Heights from fatal crush injuries sustained during the mechanical demolition of a three-storey brick home,...

ASBESTOS IDENTIFIED IN CHILDRENS’ COLOURED SAND

Posted on 19 November 2025

When we think of asbestos we typically think of outdated and outlawed building materials, but this week we have seen safety alerts and product recalls...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 19 November 2025

Hi Renata – Is there an outside temperature that it is considered unsafe to work in? Extreme weather is rapidly become a serious workplace issue...

UNION ACTIVISM PROMPTS STRONGER PENALTIES FOR WORKER ASSAULTS

Posted on 19 November 2025

Workers and their unions have had their calls for protection answered with the Victorian Government introducing The Crimes Amendment (Retail, Fast Food, Hospitality and Transport...

UNIONS CAMPAIGN FOR AMAZON TO LIFT CONDITIONS & PAY UP

Posted on 19 November 2025

Union members across Australia are protesting at Amazon sites, calling out the company for dodging taxes, exploiting workers, and threatening Aussie jobs and media. MEAA,...

FSU FILES DISPUTE OVER ANZ MASS REDUNDANCY HEALTH IMPACT

Posted on 19 November 2025

The FSU has commenced a Fair Work dispute against the ANZ bank over the significant workplace health and safety concerns that it says have stemmed...

NATIONAL ASBESTOS AWARENESS WEEK 24 – 30 NOVEMBER

Posted on 19 November 2025

This year, National Asbestos Awareness Week (NAAW) 2025 will be held from Monday 24 November – Sunday 30 November. Since 31 December 2003 asbestos has...

PIPE LAYER ELECTROCUTION HIGHLIGHTS NO-GO-ZONE DANGERS

Posted on 12 November 2025

In March 2024 an employee of AAD Civil Constructions Pty was seriously injured when the pole he used for measuring the depth of a hole...

UPDATED INCIDENT NOTIFICATION GUIDANCE

Posted on 12 November 2025

WorkSafe has updated the Incident Notification guidance and related resources. The guidance explains how occupational health and safety (OHS) laws apply to serious workplace incidents....

AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE HARMS WORKERS – DON’T CROSS THE LINE

Posted on 12 November 2025

WorkSafe reminds the Victorian community to consider the impact that verbal abuse, such as yelling or swearing, may have on the many workers who face...

BEST PRACTICE REVIEW – WORKER AND HSR SURVEY

Posted on 12 November 2025

Safe Work Australia is undertaking a best practice review of the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act and model WHS Regulations to consider best...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 12 November 2025

Hi Renata – My employer has presented a draft policy on psychosocial hazards to HSRs for feedback. This policy does not refer to or comply...

‘BACKPACKER’ DISPATCHES: WORKING HOLIDAY STORIES FROM AUSTRALIA

Posted on 12 November 2025

The Migrant Workers Centre, in conjunction with author and researcher Lea Knopf, has released a new research report, ‘Backpacker’ Dispatches: Working Holiday Stories from Australia....

ACTU – WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE ERA OF CLIMATE CRISIS

Posted on 12 November 2025

Climate change hurts workers. Climate action, including cutting emissions, just transitions and adapting to impacts already “baked in, is now core union business. Without urgent...

INDOOR AIR QUALITY INCREASES LIFE EXPECTANCY

Posted on 29 October 2025

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is fundamental to human health, safety, and well-being, yet the challenges faced in maintaining air quality are more complex today than...

$28K FINE FOR CRUSH INJURY LEADING TO TWO BROKEN LEGS

Posted on 29 October 2025

A subcontractor at CIMC Vehicle Australia Pty Ltd had to undergo surgery to insert rods into both of his broken legs after a preventable injury...

UPDATED GUIDE FOR PLANNING SAFE WORK-RELATED DRIVING

Posted on 29 October 2025

In workplaces where driving is secondary to the main role (for example, disability support workers who drive to clients’ homes), the risks associated with work-related...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 29 October 2025

Hi Renata – My employer keeps blocking the emergency exits. Thank you for your question about emergency exits. In short, it should come as no...

FINANCE SECTOR TOXICITY

Posted on 22 October 2025

Warning: this story contains discussion of suicide. A recent article titled Neoliberalism, toxic work and the shadow of death: hidden suicidality among Australia's finance sector...

PUBLIC REPORT LEADS TO $30K FINE FOR ELECTRICAL MASTERS

Posted on 22 October 2025

Electrical Masters Pty Ltd is a solar installation company that was engaged by Solar Worx Pty Ltd to install solar panels on a commercial property...

ENSIGN SERVICES FINED $270K AFTER CONTRACTOR’S FATAL TAILGATE FALL

Posted on 22 October 2025

The first of two companies has been sentenced over a worker death arising from a fall from a laundry truck tailgate in Dandenong in June...

HEALTH PROVIDER CHARGED AFTER PATIENT DEATH

Posted on 22 October 2025

WorkSafe has charged a health care provider following the death of a patient at Mitcham Private Hospital.

GENERAL MANAGER CHARGED AFTER FATAL FIRE

Posted on 22 October 2025

In a follow up to the charging of a chemical company after a worker died at a Derrimut factory in October 2023, WorkSafe have now...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 22 October 2025

Hi Renata – What is the law around productivity versus safety in the transport industry? Thank you for your question about productivity versus safety. This...

A REMINDER OF THE HAZARDS OF GLYPHOSATE EXPOSURE

Posted on 22 October 2025

As spring warms up and we see weed growth exploding, now is a good time to remind ourselves of the dangers of exposure to glyphosate,...

COMPANY FINED FOR BREACHING ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT SAFETY CLAUSE

Posted on 13 October 2025

In an unusual case, an employee’s claim of bullying and adverse action under the Fair Work Act has seen the Federal Circuit and Family Court...

HQ SOLAR & ELECTRICAL – DPP APPEAL SEES FINE TRIPLED

Posted on 13 October 2025

In June 2025 HQ Solar and Electrical Pty Ltd were fined just $8,000 with no conviction recorded after exposing two young apprentices to the The...

ASBESTOS & SILICA AWARNESS EVENTS

Posted on 13 October 2025

The Asbestos Council of Victoria (ACV/GARDS) is pleased to announce its annual Asbestos & Silica Awareness events in November. ACV/GARDS has been operating since 1991...

SAFE WORK AUSTRALIA PUBLISHES INSIGHTS TO H&S ACROSS AUSTRALIA

Posted on 13 October 2025

Safe Work Australia has published a new article exploring how work health and safety outcomes vary across Australia’s urban, regional, and remote areas. The analysis...

IT PAYS TO CARE NEW RESOURCES - FACT SHEETS & EMPLOYER TOOLS

Posted on 13 October 2025

It Pays to Care is an advocacy project that addresses the need to reduce work disability and to ensure work injury systems are fit for...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 13 October 2025

Hi Renata – The Medical Centre I work at is installing motion sensors cameras around the patient areas. I've reminded them as per S 35...

REDLAND OPERATIONS FINED AFTER CHAIN SNAP HITS EMPLOYEE IN FACE

Posted on 2 October 2025

A major Australian fruit grower, Redlands Operations Pty Ltd, has been fined $20,000 after an employee was injured by a chain that snapped and smashed...

NATIONAL MASONRY PARTIAL AMPUTATION LEADS TO ENFORCEABLE UNDERTAKING

Posted on 2 October 2025

National Masonry Pty Ltd is a manufacturer and supplier of concrete product. The company was charged with four breaches of the OHS Act following a...

WANJIA METAL WORKS FINED FOR WORK AT HEIGHTS BREACHES

Posted on 2 October 2025

In a follow-up to ,a previous article about the prosecution of WAM Homes, a second company, Wanjia Metal Works Pty Ltd, has been fined for...

INJURED WORKER SERVICE PROVIDER CHARGED OVER ALLEGED $650,000 FRAUD

Posted on 2 October 2025

A physiotherapist operating as a registered WorkSafe service provider has been charged following an investigation into alleged fraudulent billing for services to injured workers.

CHEMICAL COMPANY CHARGED AFTER FATAL FIRE

Posted on 2 October 2025

A Derrimut chemical manufacturer has been charged by WorkSafe following the death of an employee in a factory fire in October 2023. The 44-year-old man...

SAFE WORK AUSTRALIA – NEW SILICA DUST MANAGEMENT RESOURCES

Posted on 2 October 2025

To support the recently released model Code of Practice for managing the risks of respirable crystalline silica in the workplace, Safe Work Australia (SWA) has...

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL REGULATIONS

Posted on 2 October 2025

From 1 December the new Psychological Regulations commence operation. Never before has the obligation on employers been made clear about how best to identify hazards...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 2 October 2025

Hi Renata – My DWG have roles that require them to handle a powdered product and the safety data sheet (SDS) identifies it as a...

KE CHEMICALS FINED FOR REFUSING TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS

Posted on 1 October 2025

KE Chemical Pty Ltd has been sentenced to pay a fine for their failure to comply with a request to provide information to a WorkSafe...

INITIAL HOMES & LBR FRAMES FINED FOR FALL PROTECTION FAILURES

Posted on 1 October 2025

Two companies have been fined $8,000 each in a pure risk prosecution for failing to provide guard railing and stair void protection at a residential...

COMPANY FINED $17K FOR FALL THAT BROKE EMPLOYEE’S ARMS AND NOSE

Posted on 1 October 2025

Design ‘N’ Build Pty Ltd is a small builder of residential dwellings with no employees, engaging subcontractors to complete its projects. In a case that...

OPERATORS URGED TO REVIEW VEHICLE ROADWORTHINESS AFTER DRIVER DEATH

Posted on 1 October 2025

A South Australian concrete manufacturing company director has been prosecuted by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) for their failure to maintain and service their...

COMPANY AND DIRECTOR CHARGED OVER STAIR VOID DEATH

Posted on 1 October 2025

WorkSafe has charged building company Akgul Trade Pty Ltd and its sole director after the 2023 death of a worker at a residential construction site...

SAFETY ALERT: SAFE USE OF CONCRETE-PLACING EQUIPMENT

Posted on 1 October 2025

WorkSafe reminds employers and self-employed persons about their duty to control the risks associated with using concrete-placing equipment such as truck-mounted concrete-placing booms. There has...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 1 October 2025

Hi Renata – My workmates don’t think their HSR is any good and they want to replace them. What is the process and is there...

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF VICTORIAN EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND SAFETY REPS

Posted on 1 October 2025

1 October 2025 marks 40 years since the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act) 1985 came into operation, bringing with it the role...

PSYCHOSOCIAL REGULATIONS ARE HERE AT LAST!

Posted on 1 October 2025

Four years after Victoria became the first state to promise stronger protections for psychological health at work, that commitment has moved one step closer to...

TUC RESOURCES TO FIGHT DIVISION WITH SOLIDARITY

Posted on 24 September 2025

Our workplaces are not immune tothe hate speech and extremism spreading in our communities – we cannot always prevent it, but we can recognise it,...

BODI CHOICE FINED $15K AFTER EMPLOYEE’S ARM BROKEN IN THREE PLACES

Posted on 24 September 2025

Bodi Choice Pty Ltd (operating as Googys Natural Protein Foods) has been fined $15,000 with conviction for the failure to provide guarding on a dangerous...

WAM HOMES REPEATED DISDAIN FOR THE LAW NETS $47.5K FINE

Posted on 24 September 2025

WorkSafe Inspectors conducting site visits and following up on reports from the public have found WAM Homes Pty Ltd repeatedly breaching their duty to manage...

COCONUT PT FINED $60K AFTER WORKER FALLS THROUGH SCAFFOLD

Posted on 24 September 2025

A steel fixing company, Coconut PT, has been fined after an employee was seriously injured in a May 2023 fall on the construction on a...

COMPANY AND DIRECTOR FINED $1.43M FOR FATAL CRASH OF FATIGUED DRIVER

Posted on 24 September 2025

Onkar Group Pty Ltd, trading as Bakeology, and sole director Maninder Singh Nagi have been convicted and fined a total of $1.43 million in the...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 24 September 2025

Hi Renata – I'm a teacher and an HSR at a school. We are finding that risk assessment and planning for excursions and camps is...

$11K FINE FOLLOWING FALL FROM BACK OF TRUCK

Posted on 17 September 2025

A company that provides forklift operated unloading service for freight deliveries to the Melbourne Market Authority has been fined just $11,000 after a truck driver...

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD’S FINE DOUBLED AFTER DPP APPEAL

Posted on 17 September 2025

An Airport West food manufacturer has had their fine almost doubled after the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) appealed the initial sentence as inadequate....

WORKSAFE TO TARGET PSYCH INJURIES IN AGED CARE AND DISABILITY SERVICES

Posted on 17 September 2025

Victorian Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC Ben Carroll has announced a $1.6 million plan to target aged care and disability service industries to address...

COMPANY CHARGED AFTER 2024 BULK BAG CRUSH FATALITY

Posted on 17 September 2025

Following the death of a worker at a Tottenham warehouse in May 2024 WorkSafe has now charged a freight transport company.

WORKSAFE HEALTH AND SAFETY MONTH EVENTS

Posted on 17 September 2025

WorkSafe Victoria is once again delivering a range of in-person and online events across October for this year’s Health and Safety month. These sessions are...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 17 September 2025

Hi Renata – How do I determine if I need traffic management when maintaining the nature strip at a commercial business? Thanks for your enquiry...

Workplaces for Women Report Release and Online Forum

Posted on 10 September 2025

Over the past few months, more than 600 workers have shared their stories from gender-segregated industries. Last week we launched the findings from this work,...

TUC RELEASES UK INSECURE WORK DATA

Posted on 9 September 2025

The Trades Union congress has released their research report breaking down the data of insecure work in the United Kingdom, revealing continued growth in the...

$40K FINE AFTER FORKLIFT INJURIES

Posted on 9 September 2025

Mainfreight Distribution Pty Ltd is an Australia-wide freight transport business. In October 2022 a floor hand in their Derrimut warehouse was injured by the forklift...

CHILD WORKERS – ENSURING THEIR SAFETY AT WORK

Posted on 9 September 2025

Wage Inspectorate Victoria (WIV) is calling on employers to check their workplaces and work to make them safer for young employees and warns that employers...

WORKSAFE CHARGES COMPANY FOR 2023 ROAD WORKER FATALITY

Posted on 9 September 2025

Blackwood & Co Pty Ltd, trading as MakeSafe Traffic Management, has been charged by WorkSafe following investigations into the August 2023 death of road worker...

WORKSAFE – HAMILTON HANDS-ON FARM SAFETY EVENT

Posted on 9 September 2025

In collaboration with National Centre for Farmer Health, WorkSafe Victoria presents a hands-on event in Hamilton on 3 October dedicated to improving safety and well-being...

SAFETY ALERT: OVERTURNING SCAFFOLDS

Posted on 9 September 2025

Following a recent incident at a residential construction site where a prefabricated modular scaffold overturned and came to rest on energised overhead powerlines, WorkSafe has...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 9 September 2025

Hi Renata - Our manager says that we shouldn’t report incidents or issues if no-one got hurt. Is this right? Your employer has a duty...

WHO – CLIMATE CHANGE AND WORKPLACE HEAT STRESS GUIDANCE

Posted on 9 September 2025

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released its Climate change and workplace heat stress: technical report and guidance – updates to its previously issued guidance...

QLD ASPHALT COMPANY FINED $400K FOR DEATH OF WORK EXPERIENCE TEENAGER

Posted on 2 September 2025

Pivotal Plant Pty Ltd, a Queensland asphalt and spray sealing company has been convicted and fined just $400,000 for work health safety failures that led...

TOMLINSON GLASS FINED $50K AFTER EMPLOYEE PINNED BY 2.1 TONNE OF GLASS

Posted on 2 September 2025

Tomlinson Glass Pty Ltd, of Bayswater, is a glass supplier that processes and delivers glass for installation. In March 2022 whilst unpacking a shipping container...

CRANE COLLAPSE AT DERRIMUT CONSTRUCTION SITE

Posted on 2 September 2025

WorkSafe is investigating a crane collapse incident that occurred last week at a Derrimut data centre construction site. The crane’s boom snapped in high winds,...

UPDATED SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS FOR APPRENTICE ELECTRICIANS

Posted on 2 September 2025

On 1 September 2025 new requirements for the effective supervision of apprentice electricians came into effect under section 39 of the Electricity Safety Act 1998...

WORKPLACE FATALITY – STONEHAVEN SCHOOL-BUS CRASH

Posted on 2 September 2025

A 12-year-old student, Milla Killeen, was killed at Stonehaven in a school bus crash last week. The bus rolled over just west of Geelong during...

ASK RENATA

Posted on 2 September 2025

Hi Renata – Some of our DWGs are without HSRs. Our employer has announced that they will be taking over our nomination process, the election...

MUA SCORE BIG WIN AT HUTCHISON PORTS – SECURE JOBS AND NO AUTOMATION

Posted on 2 September 2025

The Maritime Union of Australia has secured a historic agreement at Hutchison Ports that locks in jobs, delivers big gains in wages and conditions, and...

UWU PUSHES FOR SAFER STAFFING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Posted on 2 September 2025

United Workers Union has launched (UWU) Safer Staffing Action Plan developed in response to the current safety crisis following tragic incidents in Victoria and other...

HSG ASPHALT FINED $80K FOLLOWING DRUNKEN SKID STEER FATALITY

Posted on 27 August 2025

A company’s usual practice of leaving keys in the ignition of a skid steer and other mobile equipment at their depot so that they can...

HALLIDAYS HEATING & COOLING FINED $85K FOR STAIRCASE VOID FALL

Posted on 27 August 2025

In March 2024 Hallidays Heating and Cooling Pty Ltd were supplying and installing heating and cooling systems in an Ormond townhouse when an employee fell...

SOLE TRADER GETS COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS ORDER AND FINE AFTER FATAL FALL

Posted on 27 August 2025

Following the death of an employee in a stair void fall, sole-trader carpenter Anthony Basa has received a one-year Community Corrections Order and must complete...