Victorian businesses face $1.1m spike in workplace safety fines

Workplace safety fines have surged to record levels in Victoria this year, as WorkSafe warns that business failures to protect workers could lead to criminal penalties.

In 2024–25, Victoria recorded 123 successful workplace health and safety prosecutions, with businesses facing $12.4 million in fines and court-ordered undertakings – a $1.1 million increase on the previous financial year, according to new WorkSafe data.

The year also saw a rise in workplace inspections and compliance enforcement, with inspectors conducting 57,600 inspections and issuing nearly 16,300 compliance notices, up from 50,177 inspections and 13,943 notices in 2023–24.

Amid these new figures highlighting the sharp rise in prosecutions and fines, Deputy Premier and Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Ben Carroll, announced that WorkSafe will adopt a “stronger, more targeted” approach to tackling workplace harm across Victoria.

The government’s intensified strategy will focus on five high-risk industries – healthcare and social assistance, construction, government, agriculture, and manufacturing – which together have accounted for nearly 60 per cent of workplace deaths and injuries over the past five years.

Carroll delivered a stark warning to Victorian employers, emphasising that every workplace death is unacceptable and stressing that the government will not tolerate negligence.

“Every workplace death is unacceptable – that’s why we are working towards a future of zero deaths and zero excuses,” Carroll said.

“If a worker dies on your watch due to negligence, you risk criminal charges. We will not tolerate employers who gamble with workers’ lives.”

In a statement, the Allan government explained that these tailored compliance programs will “ensure employers understand their health and safety responsibilities and have the information, education, and systems they need to create safer workplaces and prevent physical injuries and psychological harm”.

Sam Jenkin, WorkSafe’s chief health and safety officer, said the agency has set ambitious targets to reduce work-related fatalities and injuries in the coming years, but he stressed that achieving these goals requires collaboration.

“WorkSafe has set ambitious prevention targets for the next five years to reduce work-related fatalities by 30 per cent and injuries by 20 per cent, but we know we can’t do it alone,” Jenkin said.

“We have engaged with key stakeholders to set our strategic direction and will use a range of tools – including education, awareness-building and collaborative initiatives – to influence change and improve safety across priority areas.”