SafeWork expands its spirited industry initiative to align with ongoing growth

SafeWork expands its spirited industry initiative to align with ongoing growth

SafeWork SA announces that its partnership with the fast-growing distilling industry in South Australia will persist into 2025, as the education and compliance campaign has been extended to keep pace with sector expansion.

Launched in May 2024, this campaign represents the first instance of safety audits being performed at gin distilleries in South Australia. The initiative reflects a broader commitment to supporting emerging industry segments as they scale operations across the state.

Audit rollout and industry response

SafeWork has reported that a total of 41 distilleries have undergone audits. The campaign has been prolonged until the conclusion of June this year, as an additional 30 distilleries have been included in the audit roster, reflecting continued industry growth and demand for compliance guidance.

“If a work health and safety risk is identified during the audit and cannot be remedied while the inspector is on site, a statutory notice will be issued,” SafeWork SA stated.

“Inspectors are also providing advice, information and education in relation to compliance with the work health and safety laws.”

Why this matters for distilleries and beyond

Distilling operations share many of the same hazard profiles found in other industry sectors, including manual handling, chemical exposure, and confined space risk. Businesses in construction, manufacturing, and hospitality face comparable challenges when scaling quickly.

SafeWork's approach mirrors similar efforts seen across the broader safety community, where regulators work directly with growing industry segments to ensure compliance keeps pace with expansion. For distilleries, this means:

• Proactive identification of risk before incidents occur
• On-site education tailored to distillery-specific hazards
• Statutory notices where risk cannot be remedied immediately
• Ongoing support as new distilleries enter the industry

This model is not unique to distilling. SafeWork has previously run comparable campaigns, including a retail industry initiative and a construction safety initiative, both aimed at strengthening compliance in fast-moving sectors.

Beyond physical hazards: psychosocial risk in growing industries

As distilleries and other small-to-medium enterprises expand, employers must also consider psychosocial risk alongside physical hazards. Rapid growth often brings increased workload pressure, which can heighten psychosocial strain on staff if left unmanaged.

SafeWork inspectors addressing distillery compliance are part of a wider push across construction, manufacturing, and commercial sectors to treat psychosocial risk with the same seriousness as traditional workplace hazards.

Staying compliant as your industry grows

Businesses across construction, manufacturing, and hospitality can learn from this campaign. Whether managing hazardous substances, contaminated sites, or day-to-day operational risk, proactive compliance planning helps avoid costly statutory notices down the track.

SafetyDocs offers resources relevant to expanding industry operations, including workplace policy templates, safe work method statements, and SWMS documents tailored for various industry needs. Businesses seeking broader coverage can also browse industry suites designed for multiple sectors including construction and manufacturing.

For updates on GHS labelling requirements affecting distilleries and chemical handling more broadly, see SafeWork SA's GHS 7 compliance reminder.

Find out more here.