Workplace Health and Safety News

Published February 2026 – source: WorkSafe VictoriaOriginal article: Take the strain out of manual handling (worksafe.vic.gov.au) The biggest injury problem no one talks about enough Manual handling isn’t just a back injury waiting to happen. It’s actually the leading cause of workplace injuries in Victoria, with 48,355 injury claims accepted since 2021. More than 60 […]

What’s going wrong WorkSafe Victoria has issued a fresh warning after inspectors found cases where workers were unknowingly disturbing and spreading friable asbestos across workplaces and even into public areas. The common issue? Employers had failed to maintain or provide an asbestos register, meaning workers had no idea asbestos was present. That’s a serious gap […]

Original article: Employers urged to do more to protect apprentices (worksafe.vic.gov.au) Serious risks for young workers WorkSafe Victoria is warning Victorian employers that they’ve gotta step up and put real effort into keeping apprentices safe at work. Apprentices are often young and new to their jobs, which means they’re at higher risk of injury or […]

Original article: $200,000 fine after unsupervised worker’s crane injury (worksafe.vic.gov.au) What happened A transport company, WVCT Oz Pty Ltd trading as Western Victorian Crane Trucks, has been convicted and fined $200,000 in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court after one of its workers was seriously hurt using a crane without the right licence or supervision. The company […]

Original article: Farmer dies after quad bike incident What happened A 51-year-old farmer has died after a quad bike incident on a property at Dixie, south of Terang in regional Victoria. WorkSafe Victoria says he was riding the quad bike when it hit a rock and rolled, causing him to sustain serious chest and arm […]

Original safety alert: Asbestos-containing fire rated boards (worksafe.vic.gov.au) What’s going on WorkSafe Victoria is reminding businesses and tradespeople that asbestos is totally banned in Australia and that includes products that might contain even a tiny amount of it. That’s especially important after the Australian Border Force detected chrysotile asbestos in some fire rated boards (FRBs) […]

Big picture Victorian employers who ignore their health and safety responsibilities are paying a heavy price. In 2025 WorkSafe Victoria recorded a total of $17,391,325 in fines, court costs and enforceable undertakings after prosecutions and legal outcomes for workplace safety breaches. That total included the state’s first workplace manslaughter conviction fine being increased to a […]

What happened A 64-year-old man has died on a farm at Beech Forest after being struck by a tractor. It’s believed he was using the tractor with an attachment to bale hay when he was found on a track in a gully with severe leg and pelvis injuries at around 11:30 pm on Saturday. WorkSafe […]

What’s going on WorkSafe Victoria is reminding all employers that extreme heat and fire danger are real threats right now as the state heads into a period of high temperatures and dangerous conditions. A total fire ban has been declared across Victoria, and heatwave warnings are in place for most districts with temperatures expected in […]

Published 17 November 2025 – source: WorkSafe Victoria(See original at: Employee killed when concrete floor collapses at a demolition site) (WorkSafe Victoria) What happened A 49-year-old man died on a residential demolition site in Avondale Heights when a concrete floor collapsed and crushed him. Why this matters Demolition work comes with major structural risks. Unexpected […]

Plastic Bottle Maker Charged After Finger Amputation Published 14 November 2025 – source: WorkSafe Victoria(worksafe.vic.gov.au) What happened A 48-year-old worker was clearing a jam from an industrial plastic granulator at a factory in Laverton North when his right index finger made contact with the machine and was amputated. The employer, A & J Australia Pty […]

What happened A 55-year-old roofer tragically died after falling about eight metres through a fragile roof surface at a commercial factory in Vermont, Victoria. He landed on a concrete floor around 10.30am and sustained serious head injuries, later passing away in hospital. This marks the 41st confirmed workplace death in Victoria for 2025. Why this […]

What happened Coconut PT Pty Ltd was found guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for failing to make sure work was done from a complete scaffold and for not following a safe work method statement (SWMS) in high-risk construction work. They were fined $60,000 and ordered to pay $5,276 in court costs. The incident Back […]

What went down A metal fabrication biz, CND Contractors Pty Ltd, copped a $30,000 fine—no conviction—plus $4,365 in court costs, after pleading guilty in the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to failing to provide a safe system of work and proper supervision. That’s after a 17‑year‑old apprentice suffered horrific burns in a welding accident at their Kyabram […]

What happened? A 29‑year‑old sole trader, operating as Big Basa Constructions, was handed a one‑year Community Corrections Order but without conviction in the Melbourne County Court today. That’s after he pleaded guilty to failing to ensure a safe workplace free from health risks. The court also ordered 100 hours of community service and a $10,000 […]

What’s going down? WorkSafe Victoria is zooming in on five major industries over the next year to slash workplace deaths and injuries across the state Here’s the low‑down: Together, these industries have made up nearly 60 per cent of work‑related deaths and accepted injury claims over the past five years The aim? To hit bold targets […]

Who you gonna call? The real-life heroes behind the wheel of Car 1959, the Ghostbusters crew, are taking part in the 2025 Variety Bash. This iconic charity motoring event is all about adventure, mateship and making a real difference in the lives of Australian kids. These legends have already raised over $13,400 towards their $20,000 […]

Solve Safety strengthens its community ties by becoming a major sponsor of Emerald Football Club, actively supporting the growth and empowerment of women in sport.

A civil construction company will be required to make an undertaking of safety improvements, following an incident where twenty-three traffic management barriers and attached fencing overturned during the road upgrade, injuring a worker.

A gate manufacturing and repairing company has been convicted and fined after a depot-based company’s truck driver was fatally crushed when a gate fell and killed them whilst attempting to manually drag the gate closed.

An industrial plastics manufacturer has been fined after a worker’s head was caught between a moving bar and the machine’s frame after being called to assist in rectifying an issue with a plastic blow moulding machine.

An operator of a dive operating business that provided dive-related services, including dive cylinder refills, has been convicted and fined after air cylinders filled at their premises were discovered to contain unsafe toxic levels of carbon monoxide.

A worker operating a machine designed to create 90-degree bends in pipes was required to manually hold a pipe in place with one hand whilst pressing the activation button with the other. Before the worker could remove their hand, a vice clamped down, trapping the operator’s two fingers.

A fruit grower has been convicted and fined after one of their fruit pickers, who was a 70-year-old labour hire worker, sustained serious head injuries, including a fractured skull, and died later that in hospital.

A stonemasonry business has become the first company convicted under the Victorian workplace manslaughter laws. This followed the tragic death of a worker who was fatally crushed by a forklift that tipped over and landed on him while being operated with a raised load on a sloping driveway.

A construction company has been convicted and fined after a carpenter fell through plywood flooring at their construction worksite whilst working on a mezzanine level (an intermediate floor between levels of a building) marking out formwork.

A transport and logistics company has been convicted and fined for repeatedly failing to address the risk at one of their workplaces for the potential of someone being struck or crushed by a forklift and with multiple instances of forklifts operating too close to pedestrians.

During tower crane lifting operations, a building construction site worker fell almost three meters whilst assisting moving materials on the sixth level for the building of concrete superstructure, sustaining a concussion, sprained ankle and vertigo, leaving the worker with ongoing health battles.

A camper sustained fatal head injuries when a tree branch fell on them whilst inside their tent on a designated camping site, causing the person to lose their life. Described by the regulator as a terrible incident, it highlights workplace duty holders’ irresponsible behaviour of not proactively prioritising safety.

According to WorkSafe Victoria’s recent news, WorkSafe has launched a statewide program of inspections in the waste and recycling transport industry, aimed at driving down workplace deaths and injuries.

A dive company recently had an exploding scuba cylinder during a standard compressed air filling procedure that severely injured an instructor by severing their left leg below the knee whilst sustaining further severe injuries to their right foot, both requiring emergency surgery.

A winery and gin distiller has been fined after a horrific incident was caused by a preventable explosion and fireball that set the venue’s floor alight. Several workers and public customers were injured during a “distillers for a day” experience when a 330-litre distillery copper pot exploded from the ignition of ethanol vapours.

Cattle yard workplaces need to be made safe during operational activities and tasks, such as ear tagging and pregnancy testing using separation controls. Cattle crushes should ideally be designed in a way that the head bail operates from behind the animal and stops animals from entering designated workspaces for humans, minimising risks to workers from being injured.

A child patron supervision, advisement on the safety rules and instructional safety briefings on how to use the activities equipment to perform high-risk tasks and the accompaniment of children by a parent or guardian are steps that duty holders should take prior to customers entering a climbing area to manage the inherent risks involved in indoor adventure activities.

A labour hire worker’s hand was amputated in a concrete mixer pump during the cleaning of residue. Although the mixer had a fitted guarding, it had been removed as part of the cleaning process, without interlocks being installed, causing the worker’s hand to become entangled in the mixing hopper.

In a recent news, WorkSafe Victoria continues to see an alarming number of issues causing significant consequences at indoor play centres, particularly relating to the maintenance, training and supervision around climbing safety devices. This concern was raised when an indoor play centre was convicted and fined after an eight-year-old girl suffered significant trauma.

Falls from height remain a leading cause of death and serious injury in Victorian workplaces. Therefore, fall prevention devices are required to be in good working order with a proper inspection and maintenance regimes implemented, with faults repaired competently and/or the guardrails replaced in accordance with Australian Standards.

In Victoria, an average of one worker every week is seriously injured in incidents involving forklifts. These incidents are often the result of a lack of systems that physically separate forklifts from pedestrian walkways, exclusion zones and proper control measures like traffic management plans in areas where powered mobile plant, such as forklifts, operate.

According to WorkSafe Victoria, a built-in heavy machinery safety mechanism for a 60-tonne crane’s safety system was disabled by a bulldog clip attached to an override switch on the cranes safety system, which could not alert the operator that the load went outside the crane’s safety limits, allowing the crane to be still operated outside its prescribed parameters.

Tragically, there has been six work-related deaths this year in the agriculture sector. WorkSafe Victoria indicated that farming businesses with good safety cultures must be achieved by prioritising a safety-first approach when considering the operational activities and tasks for the jobs to be done, assessing risk for best safety practices.

According to the Safe Work Australia’s report, it found that 76% of work-related traumatic injuries fatalities and 61% of serious workers compensation claims occurred in agriculture, forestry and fishing, public administration and safety, transport, postal and warehousing, manufacturing, health care and social assistance and construction.