Safety blitz for SA transport businesses

SafeWork SA has launched a safety blitz targeting 20 South Australian transport businesses with a history of significant work injury claims. Inspectors will visit each site during May and June, examining noise exposure, manual handling, psychosocial hazards and the condition of plant and equipment.

What the SafeWork SA audits will examine

Site inspections identify non-compliance issues while educating operators about their duties under South Australia's Work Health and Safety Act 2012. Auditors concentrate on the concerns that generate the highest volume of claims across freight, logistics and warehousing.

• Noise exposure — engines, compressors and busy loading docks that erode hearing health over time.
• Hazardous manual tasks — repetitive lifting, awkward postures and a shortage of mechanical handling equipment.
• Psychosocial hazards — fatigue, tight delivery windows and bullying behaviour that undermines psychological wellbeing.
• Plant and machinery — guarding, servicing records plus pre-start checks on forklifts, hoists and yard equipment.

Why these transport businesses were selected

ReturnToWorkSA claims data and SafeWork SA intelligence flagged every operator involved. Across the 2024-25 financial year, those 20 firms lodged 226 injury claims, generating payments beyond $5.17 million.

Each business has been notified ahead of its audit and encouraged to download no-cost preparation material. Comparable targeted programs, including the safety blitz aimed at farming businesses in Coffs Harbour, show regulators increasingly using injury data to choose inspection targets.

Equipment failures remain a recurring risk in road transport

Loading and unloading generate many of the sector's most serious injuries. Tail lifts, pallet jacks, forklifts and restraint equipment fail when servicing lapses, and a worker then improvises — crushed feet, strained backs and falls from trailers follow.

Auditors want evidence, not assurances. Maintenance logs, competency records and equipment registers demonstrate hazards are actively controlled rather than tolerated. Gaps in that paperwork frequently trigger improvement notices.

Equipment checks that reduce risk before an audit

• Pre-start inspections completed and signed off for mobile plant, hoists and lifting equipment.
• Servicing schedules kept current, with defects rectified before a machine returns to duty.
• Tag-out procedures that withdraw damaged equipment from service until repairs are independently verified.
• Operator authorisations and training documents matched to every piece of equipment on site.
• Registers showing where hazardous chemicals sit relative to storage racking and handling equipment.

How to prepare for a SafeWork SA visit

Preparation begins with paperwork that mirrors actual practice. Documented risk assessments, safe operating procedures plus a live risk register give inspectors a clear compliance trail. Noise assessments and health monitoring results also matter wherever exposure exceeds the standard.

Our transport and warehousing safety templates and the complete industry safety package for logistics operators supply SWMS, inductions, checklists for equipment and hazard reporting forms — fully editable and aligned with current WHS legislation. Operators trading across the Tasman can review our safety documents for New Zealand businesses covering equivalent compliance obligations.

Enforcement outcomes underline what is at stake. As illustrated when a transport company was fined for a safety failure, courts scrutinise whether equipment was properly maintained, whether each worker received training, and whether supervision was genuine.

Block out time this month to walk your yard, test equipment, and close gaps before an inspector arrives. Read more about the SafeWork SA campaign here.