Vic transport company facing charges over serious truck crashes

Vic Transport Company Faces Charges Over Serious Truck Crashes

Summary: WorkSafe has charged a South Gippsland transport company under sections 23 and 32 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after allegedly permitting drivers to operate two unsafe milk tankers, resulting in serious truck crashes on Victorian roads. Findings from WorkSafe form part of ongoing industry news covering heavy vehicle safety failures.

What WorkSafe Alleges

Under section 32 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, this transport company faces charges relating to unsafe work practices. WorkSafe alleges management allowed workers to drive two milk tankers despite being aware the trucks were unsafe, a decision that reportedly contributed to two serious truck crashes.

Poor fleet oversight by management remains a recurring theme in industry news covering transport sector prosecutions. Effective safety management plans for transport and automotive operations are designed specifically to prevent these gaps.

Breach of Section 23: Risk to Road Users

The South Gippsland company has also been charged for breaching section 23 of the OHS Act by exposing road users to health and safety risks. WorkSafe claims management failed to ensure unsafe milk tankers were not driven on public roads in Victoria.

This case highlights why robust road safety compliance matters across the freight and logistics industry. Similar prosecutions have appeared in recent industry news, including a report on a WA transport company facing charges over a worker's severe injuries.

Failure to Maintain Safe Plant and Systems of Work

WorkSafe further alleges management failed to provide or maintain safe plant, and failed to provide or maintain safe systems of work. These systems are meant to ensure vehicles remain free of mechanical defects and that driver fatigue is managed appropriately.

Fatigue management, alongside routine vehicle maintenance, sits at the core of national heavy vehicle safety standards across Australia. Businesses can strengthen their approach using resources such as the Road Freight Transport Checklist and a documented Company Vehicle Policy.

Why Fleet Safety Management Matters

Transport operators carry legal obligations to maintain safe plant, safe systems of work, and sound fatigue management practices. Where management neglects these duties, the consequences extend beyond fines — placing drivers, other road users, and the broader industry at risk.

Strong safety management frameworks help operators meet compliance obligations before incidents occur. For heavy vehicle operations specifically, documented procedures like the Truck and Dog Trailer SWMS support consistent safe work practices across daily operations.

Broader Industry Context

This prosecution follows a pattern seen elsewhere in industry news, where management failures have led to serious harm. Recent reports include a Melbourne rubber company facing charges over a workplace death and a WA mining company facing charges over sexual harassment documents, both underscoring how compliance gaps across different sectors draw regulatory attention.

For transport and warehousing businesses seeking practical safety management guidance, SafetyDocs offers a dedicated range of transport and warehousing business safety templates to support day-to-day compliance and safer outcomes for workers and road users alike.

Source: WorkSafe Victoria website.