Non-compliance warnings issued during significant statewide campaign to safeguard NSW employees

Nov 14th 2025 | Stephen Kariahe

Non-compliance warnings issued during significant statewide campaign to safeguard NSW employees

In short: SafeWork NSW inspectors handed 736 non-compliance notices to 261 businesses during a statewide blitz in October, the biggest enforcement push since the regulator became independent.

The NSW government has intensified its initiatives to safeguard workers, with the state regulator executing its most extensive statewide compliance inspection since it became an independent regulatory body.

This major operation led to 736 notices of non-compliance being issued to 261 employers throughout New South Wales.

570 unannounced visits across three days

During the three-day period from Monday, 13 October to Wednesday, 15 October, 250 SafeWork NSW inspectors carried out 570 unannounced workplace assessments in observance of National SafeWork Month.

Where employers fell short

SafeWork said the leading safety risks recognised across worksites continue to be unsafe work from elevations and the improper operation of moving equipment, vehicles, and stationary machinery.

The authority reports instances where companies faced penalties for using forklifts without a valid high-risk work licence, while another business received an improvement order over workers’ exposure to uncapped steel rods set in concrete.

Hazards flagged most often by inspectors included:

Falls from height, unprotected edges and poorly assembled scaffolding
Mobile plant, reversing vehicles and unguarded machinery
Forklift operation without a current high-risk licence
Uncapped starter bars and other impalement hazards
Unmanaged psychosocial hazards such as bullying and excessive workloads

Inspectors keep returning to the same short list of hazards, which gives safety teams a clear set of priorities. Simple fixes — capping protruding bars, guarding rollers, reinstating handrails — often make a site safe within hours.

Psychosocial hazards under closer scrutiny

Mental health duties sit alongside physical hazard controls under harmonised work health and safety laws, so inspectors expect documented risk controls for stress, aggression, bullying and fatigue.

Younger and less experienced staff need extra attention: see our coverage of protecting the safety of young employees for supervision expectations. Inspectors also check that new recruits are properly inducted before they start work.

What this compliance campaign signals for employers

Unannounced visits will continue, and inspectors turn up expecting evidence rather than intentions. Practical advice from regulators centres on three questions: who is exposed, which controls are in place, and can you prove both?

Guidance published by Safe Work Australia offers free advice on hazard identification, consultation and supervision, so a safe system of work stays achievable for smaller businesses too.

Practical steps before an inspection

Verify licences, training records and plant maintenance logs
Review safe work method statements for tasks performed at height
Walk every site and confirm edge protection, guarding and exclusion zones keep crews safe
Document a current risk assessment for each high-consequence task
Refresh toolbox talks so supervisors explain every risk control in plain language
Restrict entry to designated work areas and log who goes where
Seek independent advice whenever hazards sit outside in-house expertise

Non-compliance warnings issued during significant statewide campaign to safeguard NSW employees