WorkSafe Victoria and the Victorian government have put employers on notice with the launch of a new enforcement campaign “More Inspectors. More Inspections’.
Attorney General and Minister for Workplace Safety, Jill Hennessey, said: ‘WorkSafe inspectors are out in force, cracking down on employers who do the wrong thing – because one death in a workplace is one too many’. This campaign is about reminding employers of their responsibilities, and those who do the wrong thing will be caught and prosecuted’.
WorkSafe Victoria’s Chief Executive, Clare Amies, said: ‘We want to remind employers of their responsibility to keep workers health and safe, and the pain, suffering and heavy legal consequences they face when they don’t’.
Master Builders Victoria has long supported the importance of visibility and proactivity of regulators in the building and construction industry, whether that regulator be WorkSafe or the ABCC. However, it is concerning to see that the focus of this campaign is limited to only one category of duty holder, employers. Master Builders Victoria believes that one death in a workplace is one too many. Therefore, we will continue to collaborate with the Attorney General and WorkSafe and encourage them to broaden the focus of the enforcement campaign to all duty holders.
Master Builders Victoria is here to help members get it right. Members seeking advice, support and services to assist in meeting their legal OHS obligations are encouraged to contact our team on 03 9411 4555.