Worksafe Victoria is due to inspect over 200 businesses across rural and regional Victoria as part of the agency's Safe Towns campaigns this week, with a particular aim to address breaches in workplace safety in Bendigo.

 

WorkSafe’s operations General Manager, Lisa Sturzenegger, said inspectors would target businesses that have never before been visited as well as those with previous injury claims.

 

“It’s in everyone’s interest to make changes sooner rather than later. Don’t wait until a WorkSafe inspector arrives, or a serious incident to address health and safety matters,” she said.

 

Almost 2370 injuries were reported to WorkSafe from the Bendigo region over the past five financial years, with treatment and rehabilitation costs exceeding $41 million.

 

“We constantly come across cases where companies are fined thousands of dollars for not addressing safety matters such as allowing workers to operate faulty machinery, not properly separating forklifts from pedestrians and other poor management of safety issues," Ms Sturzenegger said.