Short news items about work health and safety developments, regulator updates and practical lessons for Australian businesses.
Safe Work Australia has launched the 2026 National Safe Work Month activity kit, giving organisations a structured way to turn work health and safety conversations into meaningful action this October.
SafeWork NSW has issued more than 40 safety notices to labour hire providers and agribusinesses in the horticulture sector following targeted compliance blitzes in the Riverina and Coffs Harbour regions, putting operators on clear notice to strengthen their WHS management systems and controls.
Fresh data from Safe Work Australia reveals that while the total number of work health and safety prosecutions fell in 2025, the average court-imposed penalty has climbed to its highest level on record, underscoring the importance of robust WHS management systems and compliant practices.
Two related transport companies and their director have been fined a combined $420,000 in the NSW District Court after a worker was seriously injured by a closing industrial gate, highlighting the critical importance of robust WHS management systems and safe systems of work around moving plant.
ANJ Container Services and Bond Stores Pty Ltd has been fined $800,000 in the NSW District Court following a fatal incident involving a reversing reach stacker, underscoring the critical importance of robust WHS management systems and effective control measures for mobile plant.
A Sydney-based sand and cement supplier has been fined $135,000 in the Industrial Court of NSW after a truck‑mounted crane contacted live overhead powerlines on a Dundas construction site. The case highlights the critical need for robust WHS management systems and safe work method statements (SWMS) when operating mobile plant near electrical hazards.
A New South Wales building and maintenance company has been fined $390,000 after a worker suffered serious injuries in a fall of nearly three metres through a skylight void, highlighting the critical need for robust WHS management systems and safe work method statements (SWMS) when managing work at heights.
A North Coast farm owner has been convicted and fined $21,000 after SafeWork NSW inspectors found a grain auger in operation without essential guarding, highlighting the need for robust WHS management systems and safe systems of work around plant and machinery.
SafeWork NSW has released new online tools to help officers better understand and meet their due diligence obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, supporting stronger WHS leadership and safer workplaces.
The Minns Labor Government has expanded the SafeWork NSW inspectorate with 27 new inspectors, reinforcing the state’s focus on preventing both physical and psychological harm in workplaces across New South Wales.
