New On-The-Spot Fines For Victoria

On The Spot Fines For Workplace Safety Breaches have been introduced in Victoria this week.¹

WorkSafe Inspectors are now able to issue infringement notices with penalties whilst in your workplace.² The infringement notices can be issued for offences including: 

• Working without a required licence, qualification or appropriate supervision
• Working with unlicensed or unregistered equipment
• Failing to meet duties relating to the removal and storage of Asbestos
• Failing to keep various required records

Whilst the fines are not set very high, the reputational damage, both to your workforce and your customers, could be significant and impact your productivity and turnover. 

Fines will vary depending on the nature of the offence and range from $363.48 for an individual, and between $1,090.44 and $1,817.40 for a corporation. The purpose of them is to act as an additional deterrent for employers who are not taking the safety of their workers seriously.

Importantly, under the infringement notice scheme, your obligations as an employer do not change. You must continue to do everything that is reasonably practicable to provide a workplace that is free from risks to health and safety.

Does your Asbestos Register need to be updated? Do you need to conduct a Noise Assessment? Is your OHS Management System as thorough as it could be? Now’s the time to take action!

Reference

¹ https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/spot-fines-workplace-safety-breaches
² https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/introducing-infringement-notices-workplace-safety-breaches