Seventeen recruits have graduated as WorkSafe Victoria Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) inspectors this month.
The new inspectors have backgrounds across health care, construction, manufacturing, transport, agriculture and chemical engineering.
Three Return to Work inspectors will be based in Melbourne, while 14 OHS inspectors will move into roles across Melbourne, Geelong and the Latrobe Valley.
WorkSafe chief executive Clare Amies says the new inspectors will contribute to the 40,000 visits that are made by WorkSafe Vic to workplaces within the state each year.
“Our inspectors are WorkSafe’s critical frontline,” Amies says.
“We know that workplaces are changing and new challenges are arising, so each and every inspector has an important role in bolstering our reach and impact in workplaces across Victoria.”
Inspectors provide practical guidance on hazard identification and risk control, promote consultation between employers and workers on health and safety matters, and assist businesses in complying with Victoria’s health and safety laws.
Victorian minister for finance Robin Scott says the work by WorkSafe inspectors is critical to reducing the number of workers injured in Victorian workplaces.
“The health and safety of Victorian workers is paramount,” Scott says.
“Victoria is proud to be the safest state in Australia in which to work and the government is committed to ensuring WorkSafe has the resources it needs to keep Victorian workers safe.
“We all need to prioritise workplace safety so everyone can get home to their loved ones at the end of the day.”
Firms that breach the Occupational Health and Safety Act (2004) may face prosecution and heavy fines.
In the last financial year, 108 Victorian businesses were ordered by the courts to pay fines and costs totalling more than $5.5 million.