Tick Tock Regulators Are Coming to Your Site. Are You Ready?

One minute you’re serving a customer, the next an inspector is standing at the counter introducing themselves.

Two inspectors arrive, clipboards in hand. “We’re here from SafeWork NSW.” For many operators, this moment has been easy enough to manage in the past; delay a little, promise the paperwork later, maybe skate by with a warning. But from 1 July 2025, the playbook has changed.

SafeWork NSW has stepped out as a standalone regulator, armed with a new Commissioner, a stronger budget, and a public mandate to take enforcement seriously. In their own words, enforcement isn’t just the end of the line anymore; it’s the only way operators seem to understand the importance of compliance.

That means operators of Schedule 11 hazardous facilities should brace themselves. Within the next six months, unannounced inspections are expected across the state. Inspectors won’t be satisfied with a site tour; they’ll be requesting extensive documentation: manifests, emergency procedures, hazardous chemicals registers, and safety management systems. And if those documents aren’t produced promptly? Penalty notices will be issued for $500 for individuals and upwards of $5,000 for businesses.

And the risk doesn’t end there. From January 2026, SafeWork will also be publishing the names of repeat offenders in a new “High-Risk Workplaces” program. A poor inspection could put your business on display for the wrong reasons.

Victoria isn’t sitting idle either. WorkSafe VIC has flagged that operators who’ve submitted dangerous goods notifications should expect a visit in the next 3 to 6 months. Their inspectors, too, will be asking for proof, including emergency plans, storage and handling documentation, and safety management systems. In short, the paperwork you’ve been meaning to update is about to become the frontline of your compliance defence.

For businesses across both states, this is more than a policy shift; it’s a cultural one. The regulators are no longer focused on education first. They’re signalling a new era where being ready on the day of inspection is non-negotiable.

So the story plays out in one of two ways:

1. An inspector arrives, asks for documents, and within minutes, you’re staring down an infringement notice; or
2. You hand over a complete, well-prepared compliance file, and the inspection ends almost as quickly as it began.

That’s the crossroads many operators are standing at right now.

The regulators have made their move. The question is…are you ready to make yours?

Contact MSafe Consulting today!

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