More Inspections in Victoria Following Manslaughter Laws

Victorian employers have been put on notice after the state government announced plans to increase regulatory activity and inspection numbers in the wake of the state’s new workplace manslaughter laws.

Minister for Workplace Safety Jill Hennessy joined WorkSafe Chief Executive Colin Radford both warned employers of the tough financial penalties and jail terms they now face if their negligence causes a workplace death.

Under new manslaughter legislation, companies will face more than $16 million in fines, and individual employers responsible for a workplace death face up to 20 years in jail.

With five workplace deaths already this year, the government said the campaign was a timely reminder of the responsibility of all employers to ensure that their employees are safe at work.

Hennessy said more WorkSafe inspections than ever before were undertaken in 2019 with 49,771 visits completed and 14,939 health and safety compliance notices issued.

The government has also committed $10 million towards the implementation of the new laws, which includes money for a specialist WorkSafe team to lead investigations and prosecutions.

An additional 40 specialist construction inspectors by will also be hired by 2022, with recruitment now underway for 10 of those positions.

The construction industry also continues to be overrepresented in workplace fatality statistics following the death of five workers. In total there were nine industries that recorded at least one workplace fatality last year.

Radford said there were no excuses for putting workers’ lives at risk and that WorkSafe would not hesitate to prosecute those who do.

“Twenty-four people died in a workplace incident in 2019, that’s 24 families, groups of friends and communities who have lost a loved one, a friend, a teammate or a colleague.”

The new laws commence on July 1.