Georgina Mercer26/02/2026 5:15:51 PM5 min read

Weekly WHS Round-Up 18th to 25th February 2026

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Weekly WHS Update (18th to 25th February 2026)

Here are the top Australian WHS updates for Feb 18–25, 2026. Key highlights: NSW and Victoria published high-impact enforcement outcomes again, plant guarding/lockout failures, lift planning near overhead powerlines, and working at height controls remain the quickest route to six figure penalties. We also saw a clear policy signal: psychosocial risk and sexual/gender based harassment management is now moving into “inspectable WHS evidence” territory (SA), and Safe Work Australia is pushing chemical risk thinking beyond inhalation via skin absorption (“Sk”) notation.

What You Should Do This Week:

Verify “No Excuses” Controls (Plant + Heights):
Walk the floor/site and confirm machine guarding, emergency stops, and LOTO/isolation are robust on conveyors and rotating plant. For roofs/edges, validate passive fall prevention (guardrails/scaffold) is in place and SWMS is actually being followed.
Re-check Lift Planning Near Services:
Review lifting plans and supervision for work near overhead powerlines. Confirm exclusion distances, competent spotters (where required), and practical options to de-energise/relocate work.
Update Chemicals Risk Assessments for Skin Exposure:
Review hazardous chemicals against updated WEL guidance and ensure controls cover dermal exposure pathways (glove selection, hygiene, contaminated PPE handling), not just airborne exposure.
Psychosocial + Harassment Readiness Check:
Ensure you can evidence psychosocial hazard identification, consultation, controls, and review. Refresh reporting pathways and manager capability, this is now firmly framed as WHS risk management (not “just HR”).
Run a Targeted Toolbox Talk:
Use the WorkSafe Vic farm machinery alerts as a quick case based discussion: exclusion zones, engine off/handbrake, equipment suitability, and “no one in the crush zone.”

Key Updates This Week:

National

Safe Work Australia — 20 Feb 2026 — “Advisory notation for skin absorption in the Workplace exposure limits for airborne contaminants”
SWA highlighted the ‘Sk’ (skin absorption) advisory notation in Workplace Exposure Limits, reinforcing that some substances can significantly enter the body via skin contact, not just inhalation.
Affects: Any PCBU handling hazardous chemicals (manufacturing, construction, maintenance, labs, cleaning, paint/coatings).
Action: Update chemical risk assessments and SOPs to explicitly control dermal exposure (PPE selection, hygiene systems, training, supervision).

Victoria

WorkSafe Victoria — 20 Feb 2026 — “$700,000 in fines for string of working at height offences”
Proform Roofing (Vic) Pty Ltd was prosecuted for repeated working at height failures across multiple sites.
Outcome: $700,000 in fines plus $12,965 costs.
Affects: Residential and commercial builders, roofers, and any PCBU running HRCW where fall risk is present.
Action: Audit fall controls using the hierarchy (prioritise passive prevention). Verify SWMS is present, site specific, and enforced, including stop work authority when controls aren’t in place.

WorkSafe Victoria — 19 Feb 2026 — “Manufacturer commits $170,800 to safety after injury” (Enforceable Undertaking)
Alpine MDF Industries committed $170,800 in safety improvements after a worker’s arm was drawn into rotating machinery during cleaning.
Affects: Manufacturing/processing operations with rotating plant, rollers, in running nip points, and routine/non-routine cleaning tasks.
Action: Lock down access to hazardous moving parts: guarding/interlocks, strict LOTO, permit to work for maintenance/cleaning, and competent supervision, especially where interim controls have been relied on.

WorkSafe Victoria — 24 Feb 2026 — Safety Alert: “Person fatally crushed while assisting with attaching a hay rake to a tractor”
Fatal crush incident during implement attachment when the tractor unexpectedly moved.
Affects: Agriculture, contractors working around tractors/implements, any workplace with heavy plant attachment tasks.
Action: Build a “no crush zone” rule into procedures: engine off, out of gear, handbrake on; exclusion zones; clear comms; stable supports.

WorkSafe Victoria — 24 Feb 2026 — Safety Alert: “Farmer fatally injured while towing a loaded trailer using a quad bike”
Quad bike towing an unbraked, shifting live load tipped, a strong equipment suitability warning.
Affects: Agriculture and any operations using quad bikes for towing/transport.
Action: Stop quad bikes towing unsuitable loads (especially live loads). Use braked trailers/appropriate vehicles, comply with manufacturer limits, secure loads, and enforce PPE/helmet requirements.

New South Wales

SafeWork NSW — 18 Feb 2026 — “Company fined $120,000 after worker injured on conveyor rollers”
Painting and Blasting Industries Pty Ltd fined after a worker’s hand was caught between conveyor rollers on a blast cabinet.
Outcome: $120,000 fine (Industrial Court of NSW).
Affects: Manufacturing, fabrication, warehouses with conveyors/rollers and material handling plant.
Action: Immediately audit conveyors: guarding, emergency stops, safe cleaning/maintenance systems, and LOTO compliance, especially for non-routine tasks.

SafeWork NSW — 20 Feb 2026 — “Company fined $300,000 after worker gets electric shock”
Segcon Constructions Pty Ltd fined after a steel reinforcement cage contacted 11kV overhead powerlines during a lift, shocking a worker.
Outcome: $300,000 fine (Industrial Court of NSW).
Affects: Construction contractors, steel fixing, civil works, any PCBU lifting near overhead services.
Action: Re-check lift planning near energised assets: exclusion distances, competent supervision, spotters where required, and de-energisation/asset management planning where practicable.