WorkSafe Victoria will turn the spotlight on five of the state’s key industries over the next year in a bid to reduce workplace fatalities and injuries.
The state’s workplace safety regulator is set to look closely at the construction sector as well as government, agriculture, manufacturing, health care and social assistance. According to the regulator, these five sectors have contributed to almost 60 per cent of the work-related deaths and accepted workplace injury claims in the past five years.
WorkSafe Victoria will be looking at key areas in each sector, including falls from height, occupational violence and aggression, hazardous manual handling, bullying and harassment, occupational illness and disease, loading and unloading, and mobile plant.
“The safety of workers in workplaces is our highest priority, so it makes sense that we focus resources on the sectors where the greatest harm is happening and the hazards causing it,” WorkSafe chief health and safety officer Sam Jenkin said.
“We have carefully identified areas where the rate of injuries or fatalities is highest, relative to the size of the industry, and mapped out a path to enable, motivate, influence and enforce better performance and compliance.”
The new approach from WorkSafe Victoria is part of a broader strategy which includes ambitious targets of reducing fatalities by 30 per cent and injuries by 20 per cent over the next five years.
To achieve this aim, the regulator will employ a range of tools and techniques. This includes targeted visits and assessment programs as well as collaborative initiatives.
“Holding employers to account is a key part of our strategy and WorkSafe won’t hesitate to use every regulatory tool available against employers who fail to protect workers – including potential criminal charges,” Jenkin said.
“But a big part of our role is about making sure all duty holders are supported to understand their obligations, and have the information, education and systems to make a difference.
“WorkSafe has set ambitious prevention targets for the next five years – but we know we can’t influence change and improve safety on our own.
“That’s why we’ll continue consulting with stakeholders and working closely with industry to ensure that, not only is every employer aware of their duties, but they understand why and how to prioritise safety.”
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