New laws to boost workplace safety in Victoria

New laws to improve workplace safety in Victoria went into effect on 16 March 2022.

The Workplace Safety Legislation and Matters Amendment Act 2022 aims to prevent and better respond to workplace safety incidents and improve outcomes for injured workers and their families.

The laws also increase WorkSafe's ability to enhance Victoria's workers' compensation scheme operations.

The new laws allow WorkSafe inspectors to issue prohibition notices or give directions relating to non-immediate yet serious health and safety risks and prohibit an activity until satisfied the workplace is made safe.

Under the new laws, some activities for which an inspector may have issued an improvement notice in the past may now become subject to a prohibition notice.

Notification is now required for incidents that don't result in an injury but do expose a person to a serious health and safety risk.

For more information about the new laws, visit the WorkSafe Victoria website.