Vic death toll reaches six

The death of a man in Dandenong South last Friday has raised this year's work-related death toll in Victoria to six.

The 44-year-old man was loading a boom lift on to a trailer at an equipment hire yard when he was struck by the machine.

WorkSafe's executive director John Merritt said the state's work-related death toll was now double that of the same time last year.

"To have six deaths in a little over four weeks is a major concern because we know the overwhelming number of workplace deaths and injuries can be prevented," Merritt said.

"What these figures tell us is that our earlier calls for everyone to "go back to basics' on their safety assessments and actions was justified and needs to be restated.

"WorkSafe is helping to educate and support businesses and workers on ways to improve safety, but it is their legal, commercial and personal responsibility, with all the consequences that flow from it, to ensure standards are constantly maintained."

WorkSafe is currently running a program targeting safety in equipment hire yards.