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On-the-spot fines

An on-the-spot fine is an alternative to prosecuting alleged offenders directly through the court. It is also called an infringement notice.

On-the-spot fines may be issued for workplace health and safety offences prescribed in Schedule 5 of the State Penalties Enforcement Regulation 2000 (PDF, 925 kB).

These include:

• failure to appoint a workplace health and safety officer
• failure to comply with an improvement notice
• failure to record a work-caused illness or injury
• allowing persons to undertake construction work where there is a risk the person could fall, without having adequate controls in place.

View/download the full list of specific on-the-spot fines.

The fine may be paid in full at any Workplace Health and Safety office within 28 days or arrangements can be made to pay an on-the-spot fine of $200 or more in instalments.

The alleged offender can choose to contest the infringement notice in a Magistrates Court.

Failure to pay

Not paying the fine can lead to further enforcement action, including:

• redirection of wages or funds from a bank account
• issuing of a warrant for the seizure and sale of property
• suspension of the debtor's driver's licence until the debt is satisfied
• registration of the debt for enforcement interstate
• issuing an arrest and imprisonment warrant.