Victoria’s manufacturing industry will be at the centre of WorkSafe’s Health and Safety Month when the regulator visits Dandenong to provide practical insights on workplace safety.
WorkSafe will host the event at the Holiday Inn’s Dandenong Room on Thursday, 9 October, with sessions tailored to the manufacturing sector, including safe handling of dangerous goods and supporting recovery and return to work after injury.
In a news release, WorkSafe said the focus on manufacturing comes as the sector remains a priority industry under WorkSafe’s 2025–26 strategy to reduce workplace harm.
I tnoted that while the industry employs about eight percent of Victoria’s workforce, it has accounted for more than 14 percent of all workplace injury claims over the past five years, with manual handling the leading cause.
More than one in five workplace fatalities in manufacturing have occurred in Greater Dandenong, highlighting the importance of safety initiatives in the region.
Targeted discussion topics at the Dandenong session will include automation and robotics, working with health and safety representatives, support services for injured workers, managing hazardous sites, and the importance of pre-incident planning and emergency response when dealing with dangerous goods.
WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said the event would provide valuable opportunities for employers and workers to learn from experts and share experiences.
“Workers in manufacturing use a wide variety of machinery and tools, each with its own risks and hazards, and this session has the potential to help employers avoid serious injuries and even save lives,” Mr Jenkin said.
“With Greater Dandenong being home to more than 23,000 workers in an industry worth around $30 billion to the Victorian economy each year, it’s vital that manufacturers in the area are staying up to date with the latest health and safety advice.”
The Dandenong event is part of WorkSafe’s roadshow across regional Victoria and Melbourne, which will be followed by a week-long series of Health and Safety Month webinars later in October.
Further details and registration information are available here.
