WorkSafe

A construction company has been fined a record $1.75 million (and ordered to pay $2661 in costs) over the death of a worker who was struck by a falling structural steel column, the highest fine ever imposed under WA’s workplace safety laws.

AR Constructions (currently in the process of liquidation) pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker and, by that failure, causing his death and was fined in the Midland Magistrates Court on Monday.

WorkSafe has issued a warning to assessors, industry and the general public after a Perth High Risk Work Licence (HRWL) assessor had his accreditation cancelled for serious breaches of assessment requirements. 

Ronald Myers’ assessor accreditation has been cancelled, so he is now no longer able to conduct assessments for any class of HRWL.

Mining company Wiluna Operations Pty Ltd has been fined $575,000 after an apprentice mechanical fitter suffered a permanent spinal injury and became a paraplegic when a wheel assembly weighing more than 750 kilograms fell on him.

The Carnarvon Magistrates Court also ordered the company to pay $2,663.30 in costs on 24 April 2026. The incident happened at the Matilda Gold Open Pit in September 2021.

As Western Australian students return to schools this week, the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety’s WorkSafe group is delivering on its commitment to keep the State’s new and young workers safe by upgrading its SmartMove website, an online initiative that educates them about work health and safety (WHS).

SmartMove offers a practical way for WA’s new and young workers to learn about potential hazards, understand their rights and responsibilities and feel better prepared for the workplace.

A trucking company has been fined $550,000 (and ordered to pay $8000 in costs) for failing to properly secure a load on one of their trucks that was later involved in a fatal collision.

R.G.R. Road Haulage Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the health and safety of other persons was not put at risk by their work and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court on April 13.

The WorkSafe Commissioner has exempted the operators of small, lower-risk mines in Western Australia that meet all of the regulator’s criteria from full Site Senior Executive requirements, allowing them to appoint a Site Senior Executive (Restricted).

A Katrine farm owner has been fined $22,000 (and ordered to pay $4861 in costs) over unsafe controls on a wool press. 

Wayne Bradley Ashworth pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and was fined in the Northam Magistrates Court yesterday.

In January 2022, a farm manager was using the wool press to compress fleeces into cubic wool packs.

WorkSafe’s regional, agricultural and industrial inspectors visited 19 regional abattoirs and issued 562 improvement notices and six prohibition notices.

The most common reason for the issue of notices was guarding of machinery (81 notices), followed by provision of safe layout including floor demarcation (52 notices), maintenance and inspection of mobile plant (20 notices) and emergency stops (18 notices).

WorkSafe has commenced prosecution action against a mining maintenance company over the death of a worker at South Boulder in December 2023.

Dalmain Enterprises Pty Ltd – trading as ATS Mining Maintenance – has been charged with failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment and, by that failure, causing the death of a worker.

In December 2023, a worker who was employed as a heavy diesel mechanic was instructed to remove the front axle from a truck, requiring the truck to be jacked off the ground.

• Proposed amendments arise from a recent legislation review
• The State Government is committed to the highest safety standards
• Public submissions are open until 5pm on 27 February 2026

The Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety is inviting public submissions on proposed amendments to Western Australia’s dangerous goods safety laws.