Originally published by the Australian Institute of Health & Safety
WorkSafe Victoria recently announced that employers and those responsible for prescribed equipment used outside of workplaces must notify the regulators of certain incidents involving a broader range of machinery.
Importantly, high-risk machinery in common use such as tractors, quad bikes, forklifts, excavators and mining and quarrying equipment are now included.
The changes, which came into effect on 1 July 2024, align the notification requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and the Equipment (Public Safety) Regulations, providing clarity around when an incident is notifiable.
WorkSafe must be notified when an incident involving prescribed machinery or equipment immediately or imminently exposes a person to a serious health and safety risk due to collapse, overturning, failure, malfunction or damage.
More than 8300 injury claims, almost a third of all claims accepted by WorkSafe last year, related to machinery and equipment.
Operating machinery and equipment like forklifts and excavators was a routine part of daily life for many Victorian workers, said WorkSafe Victoria executive director of health and safety Sam Jenkin.
“Updating these regulations will mean there is more transparency and accountability around reporting incidents, which is crucial for identifying patterns and preventing workers from being at serious risk of harm,” Jenkin said.
“Victorians working with and around machinery should feel confident that incident notification reform will lead to a better informed and safer work environment for everyone”.
