Victorian employers were fined more than $17 million for unsafe work last year.
The total of $17,391,325 in fines, costs and undertakings for breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Dangerous Goods Act were the result of prosecutions pursued by the state’s workplace safety regulator, WorkSafe.
The figure includes the fine for the state’s first workplace manslaughter conviction being increased to a record $3 million on appeal, as well as three other seven-figure penalties and 29 outcomes worth more than $100,000.
The largest portion of health and safety prosecutions were against employers in construction (64), followed by manufacturing (30), and transport, postal and warehousing (8).
Offences involving working at height accounted for the highest number of outcomes, with 52 employers – almost exclusively from the construction industry – copping a total of $3.74 million in fines, costs and undertakings.
Breaches involving mobile plant, such as forklifts and cranes, were the second most common offence type, accounting for 26 successful results, followed by unguarded machinery with 17.
WorkSafe chief health and safety officer Sam Jenkin said the focus reflected where the most serious harm was expected to occur.
“Construction remains Victoria’s deadliest industry with 69 fatalities in the last five years, largely due to preventable falls from height, but we also continue to see significant workplace harm in both the manufacturing and transport sectors,” Mr Jenkin said.
“By keeping a close eye on these industries, we’re able to identify both known and emerging risks and take strong enforcement action, even in cases where an incident has not yet occurred.”
In 2025, WorkSafe prosecuted 35 duty holders over observed or reported safety issues.
Mr Jenkin said WorkSafe will work to further improve its enforcement approach to help drive down the number of injuries and deaths in key priority areas.
“We want to ensure we’re using the most appropriate tools to influence behaviour change when it comes to common offences, such as those involving working at height,” he said.
“Not putting up guard rails for a quick roofing job or letting an apprentice work alone may seem like easy ways to save a bit of time or money, but the reality is you’re gambling with a person’s life.”
