The manufacturing industry sector in Victoria has over 17,000 employers and over 18,000 individual workplaces registered with the Victorian WorkCover Authority for workers' compensation purposes. These workplaces make a range of products by physical or chemical transformation of materials or components using machines or by hand. These include: chemical, petroleum and coal products; clothing and footwear; food, beverages and tobacco; leather products; equipment and machinery; metal products; mineral products; paper, paper products, printing and publishing; plastic and rubber products; textiles; transport equipment; wood, wood products and furniture. There are an increasing number of casual workers and contractors in the manufacturing industry.
Manufacturing workplaces can be very hazardous, and workers have died, been seriously injured or contracted diseases. Hazards in the manufacturing industry include unguarded machinery, forklifts, hazardous substances, manual handling.
Unionised and organised manufacturing workplaces have a better OHS record than un-unionised sites as these sites are far more likely to have well-trained and resourced elected OHS Reps, joint OHS Committees and support from the union.