SafeWork NSW has doubled down on its duties as a standalone regulator, with the agency handing out more than 500 notices to businesses across the state as part of its largest compliance blitz in a decade.

Earlier this month, the workplace health and safety regulator conducted unannounced inspections targeting close to 400 high-risk workplaces and industries.

Under that safety push, inspectors issued 506 notices for non-compliance, consisting of 435 improvement notices, 61 prohibition notices and 10 fines worth almost $50,000.

Safety issues around working from heights which includes unprotected edges and fragile surfaces, as well as operation of moving plants, vehicles and fixed machinery were among the major concerns spotted across worksites.

“[It was] the agency’s largest proactive and targeted verification program in the past decade,” SafeWork NSW Commissioner Janet Schorer said.

“The hundreds of unannounced site visits reflect SafeWork NSW’s determination to be a visible regulator.

“However, there is still more work to do to ensure workers are not placed in potentially hazardous situations.”

The compliance operation coincided with SafeWork NSW’s formal transition to a standalone agency on July 1, and the publication of its new Annual Regulatory Statement for 2025-26.

The statement outlines the body’s goals over the next 12 months and the regulatory priorities it will focus on.

This includes its approach to compliance, enforcement, programs targeting harm prevention and outlines the agency’s key measurable actions to deliver on its regulatory priorities.