WorkSafe Tasmania targeting construction, transport and distillery sectors this year

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WorkSafe Tasmania Targeting Construction, Transport and Distillery Sectors This Year

Tasmania's WHS regulator has confirmed inspectors will make both planned and unannounced visits to workplaces this year, ensuring health and safety risks are properly managed across high-risk industries.

WorkSafe Tasmania says inspectors will focus on work health and safety compliance in the construction, distillery, and transport sectors, plus warehousing operations and any workplace where engineered stone containing asbestos is worked or used.

Why These Industries Are Under the Spotlight

Construction remains one of Tasmania's highest-risk sectors, with ongoing exposure to hazards including asbestos-containing materials, falls, and heavy machinery. WorkSafe's renewed focus on this construction industry compliance push mirrors similar campaigns run by regulators nationally, including the NHVR's recent safety campaign targeting construction and waste sectors. Transport and warehousing operations face distinct risks tied to vehicle safety, manual handling, and warehousing logistics, while distillery workplaces present unique chemical handling and confined space hazards. Warehousing environments, in particular, often combine multiple risk factors — heavy plant, hazardous substances, and high foot traffic — making warehousing compliance a priority area for inspectors this year.

How WorkSafe Tasmania Inspectors Operate

Inspectors work directly with businesses to help manage workplace health risks, protecting the safety of all Tasmanians. According to WorkSafe Tasmania:

"Inspectors take an educative approach to compliance, particularly where employers and workers are making genuine attempts to comply with their obligations under the work health and safety laws."

This educative approach means inspectors prioritise guidance over punitive action when businesses demonstrate genuine commitment toward safety compliance. However, unannounced visits remain a key enforcement mechanism, so preparation matters regardless of sector.

Key Focus Areas for 2024

• Construction: asbestos management, fall prevention, and engineered stone handling
• Distillery operations: chemical safety, ventilation, and hazardous substance storage
• Transport and warehousing: vehicle safety, warehousing logistics, and manual handling risks
• Engineered stone workplaces: silica dust and asbestos exposure controls

Preparing Your Workplace for an Inspection

Businesses should ensure safety systems are compliant before an inspector visits, using WorkSafe Tasmania's online guidance forms and checklists as a starting point. For construction, distillery, and warehousing operators, this means reviewing:

• Current asbestos registers and management forms
• Health and safety induction records for all workers
• Risk assessments specific to your industry
• Incident reporting procedures and documentation

Given inspectors' focus on genuine compliance efforts, having up-to-date management plans in place demonstrates proactive commitment to workplace safety. SafetyDocs offers construction management plans tailored to help businesses meet these obligations before an unannounced visit occurs.

Related Safety Compliance Resources

Staying ahead of regulatory scrutiny requires more than a single checklist — it demands ongoing engagement with industry safety standards. Businesses can also benefit from attending the Workplace Health and Safety Show, where compliance updates and practical guidance are shared across construction, transport, and manufacturing sectors.

Recognition programs also highlight best practice across the industry. Nominations remain open for the WorkSafe Victoria Awards this year, while WorkSafe has separately opened nominations for this year's WHS awards, both celebrating organisations demonstrating exceptional health and safety performance.

Read the original story on the WorkSafe Tasmania website.

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