NSW issues 506 notices in largest safety blitz in a decade

Under its new Commissioner, standalone regulator SafeWork NSW has carried out unannounced inspections targeting close to 400 high-risk workplaces and industries, its inspectors issuing 506 notices for non-compliance, in the state’s largest compliance blitz in a decade. The blitz comprised 435 improvement notices, 61 prohibition notices and 10 fines worth close to $50,000.

“SafeWork NSW’s first compliance operation as a standalone regulator was the agency’s largest proactive and targeted verification program is the past decade,” SafeWork NSW Commissioner Janet Schorer said.

The top two safety risks across worksites were:

• unsafe work from heights, where 192 notices for non-compliance with safety requirements relating to work at heights were issued to businesses — the key hazards associated with falls from heights including fragile surfaces and unprotected edges; and
• unsafe operation of moving plant, vehicles and fixed machinery, where 285 notices were issued by inspectors — some examples including conveyors, cranes, lifts, forklifts, scaffolding components and amusement devices.
   

“The hundreds of unannounced site visits reflect SafeWork NSW’s determination to be a visible regulator,” Schorer said. “However, there is still more work to do to ensure workers are not placed in potentially hazardous situations.

“SafeWork NSW will continue to focus on falls-from-heights hazards and the unsafe operation of moving plant, vehicles and fixed machinery as a priority in the year ahead.”

The compliance operation coincided with SafeWork NSW’s 1 July formal transition to a standalone agency and the publication of its new Annual Regulatory Statement for 2025–26. Between 1 July and 4 July, hundreds of SafeWork NSW staff travelled across the state — from a farm outside Orange and a Wollongong construction site to a Dubbo manufacturer and Ballina nursing home.