WorkSafe targets five industries to reduce workplace harm
15 Aug 2025•BlueSafe Team•Source: WorkSafe VIC
WorkSafe Victoria is focusing on five industries that together accounted for almost 60 per cent of work-related deaths and accepted workplace injury claims over the past five years. The approach supports five-year targets to reduce fatalities by 30 per cent and injuries by 20 per cent.
The priority sectors are health care and social assistance, construction, government, agriculture and manufacturing. WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said the approach formed part of the plan to meet the prevention targets in the WorkSafe Victoria Strategy.
"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," Mr Jenkin said. He said WorkSafe had identified areas with the highest rates of injuries or fatalities relative to industry size and developed an approach to improve performance and compliance.
WorkSafe will use targeted visits, assessment programs, education, awareness-building and collaborative initiatives to improve safety in its priority areas. Mr Jenkin said duty holders in other industries would still face scrutiny and continue to receive support and advice about meeting their health and safety obligations.
"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," he said. Mr Jenkin also said supporting duty holders to understand their obligations, with information, education and systems to make a difference, remained a major part of WorkSafe's role.
WorkSafe has developed a Statement of Regulatory Intent in close consultation with stakeholders. It sets out the regulator's key priorities for the 2025-26 financial year, giving the Victorian community an accessible and transparent view of its focus.
Alongside the five sectors, WorkSafe will target hazards causing the most physical and psychological harm across industries. These include falls from height, occupational violence and aggression, hazardous manual handling, bullying and harassment, occupational illness and disease, loading and unloading, and mobile plant.
Mr Jenkin said WorkSafe could not achieve change and improve safety alone. He said the regulator would continue consulting stakeholders and working with industry so employers understood their duties, as well as why and how to prioritise safety.
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