Victorian government enhances workplace safety through increased funding

Victorian Government enhances workplace safety through increased funding

Quick answer: Victoria has committed $13.7 million in 2026/27 to protect workers, strengthen injury prevention and improve return-to-work outcomes, adding 20 WorkSafe inspectors across five of the state's most hazardous industry groups.

Announced as part of the state's latest spending plan, this new funding will lift workplace injury prevention efforts, ensure worker safety and expand support for individuals returning to work. Regulators intend to pair sharper enforcement with practical guidance, so duty holders grasp their obligations well before harm occurs.

Where the 20 new inspectors will focus

WorkSafe's additional field officers are being directed at five priority areas flagged in claims and injury analysis covering each industry:

• Construction industry – falls from height, mobile plant and excavation hazards continue to cause death and permanent impairment on Victorian sites.
• Health care and social assistance – manual handling strain, fatigue, aggression from patients and heavy caseloads drive claim numbers upward.
• Public sector – schools, councils and emergency services face psychosocial hazards alongside traditional physical risks.
• Agriculture – Victoria's farming industry records disproportionate fatalities involving tractors, quad bikes and livestock, mirroring trends behind increased funding to improve farm safety in Tasmania.
• Manufacturing industry – machine guarding failures, noise exposure and repetitive strain remain persistent enforcement themes.

New enforcement division for care providers

A specialist compliance and enforcement division will sit inside WorkSafe, overseeing the health care industry plus social assistance operators. Frontline health care workers, aged-care staff and hospital teams report some of the highest injury rates statewide, so inspectors gain dedicated capability rather than competing priorities.

Support for bereaved families

The state budget sets aside $1.4 million to provide support for families who are grieving the loss of a loved one killed in a work-related accident. Counselling, legal navigation and practical assistance will be offered regardless of industry or employer size.

What Victorian employers should do now

Anticipate more unannounced visits, particularly across those five nominated industry groups. Businesses can get ahead by verifying controls on the ground and refreshing paperwork that inspectors always request:

• Update risk registers so industry-specific hazards — not generic ones — are captured and controlled.
• Confirm every control measure meets current industry standards and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017.
• Involve elected health and safety representatives early when reviewing hazardous tasks.
• Reassess fleet and plant controls using our guidance on managing vehicle safety in the workplace.
• Keep SWMS, permits and induction records inside safety software for instant retrieval during an inspection.
• Explore WorkSafe grants that support projects that improve safety for higher-risk roles.

Industry associations have broadly welcomed tighter scrutiny, noting that visible regulators change behaviour faster than penalties alone. Earlier commitments, including a funding boost for Victorian workers, point to sustained investment rather than a one-off gesture.

Employers treating this announcement as a prompt — reviewing systems now, not after an inspector arrives — will be best placed to satisfy rising industry expectations. Continue reading at WorkSafe Victoria.