Unions in Tasmania are hoping tougher penalties accompanying new workplace regulations will drive home the importance of safety on the job.

New laws came into effect at the start of the year and have already seen a drop in reported injuries from previous years. Unions Tasmania says now is the time to capitalise on the new standards and increase the associated fines.

Unions Tasmania’s Kevin Harkins said it is excellent injuries for the state were less than 9,000 for the first year ever, and he says the new laws are effective in reducing injuries at work and changing a culture of “just pushing to get the job done.”

Tasmania still has the second highest rate of injury in the country – the Workplace Relations minister reports there were 8,934 cases of workplace injury last year, 378 less than the previous year - with most deaths and fatalities occurring in the farming and construction industries.

Details of the recently-introduced Tasmanian WorkSafe reforms are available online.