Work safety watchdog issues notices to Queensland Police Service over watch house conditionsBy Eden Gillespie for ABC Regional Investigations
Posted Wed 2 Sep 2026 at 6:50pmWed 2 Sep 2026 at 6:50pmWed 2 Sep 2026 at 6:50pm
In short:
Workplace Health and Safety has handed out a number of regulatory notices to Queensland Police regarding watch house conditions.
It comes after the Queensland Police Union lodged a formal complaint in March, citing severe overcrowding and unsafe staffing levels inside watch houses.
What’s next?
The regulator says it continues to monitor compliance with these notices.
Queensland’s work safety watchdog has issued multiple regulatory notices to the state’s police service after undertaking a compliance blitz on watch houses, the ABC can reveal.
The Queensland Police Union (QPU) lodged a formal complaint with Workplace Health and Safety (WPHS) in March, citing severe overcrowding and unsafe staffing levels inside watch houses.
A police source told the ABC that inspections were undertaken at Brisbane and regional watch houses, including those in Caloundra and Caboolture.
The QPU has also confirmed that site visits were conducted at Ipswich, Cleveland, Southport and Beenleigh.
QPU president Shane Prior said he had been advised that several notices had been issued for the Brisbane watch house regarding chemical storage and building maintenance deficiencies.
Caloundra and Caboolture each received five improvement notices, according to Mr Prior.
In Caboolture, one of the notices related to there being no sexual harassment prevention plan, according to Mr Prior.
The notices are not fines but written directions requiring the Queensland Police Service (QPS) to fix a workplace health and safety problem.
In its complaint to WPHS, the union also reported extended detention of adults for 21 days and young people for up to 30 days, and hygiene failures at aging and underfunded facilities.
Other reported concerns by the union included unreliable CCTV, poor ventilation, mould, and insufficient personal protective equipment.
The union told the regulator that despite multiple reviews into Queensland watch houses, key risks remained unaddressed.
Mr Prior told the ABC a few months ago that overcrowding in regional watch houses was of particular concern, with prisoners sleeping on floors, in exercise yards, or in makeshift overflow areas.
“Frankly, the working conditions that our people turn up to every day to do their job are disgusting,” he said at the time.
Mr Prior described conditions as a “ticking time bomb”.
“I fear more police will be seriously hurt or a person in custody may lose their life,” he said.
WPHS did not answer questions about how many watch houses were inspected or how many notices were issued due to legal restrictions.
A spokesperson from WPHS told the ABC they had “recently undertaken a program of site visits to QPS watch houses throughout the state”.
“As a result of this compliance program, a number of regulatory notices have been issued; however, no fines were issued,” the spokesperson said.
“WPHS continues to monitor compliance with these notices and undertake ongoing regulatory oversight of the relevant workplaces.”
The QPS did not directly answer questions about the notices issued by WPHS.
A QPS spokesperson said the service remained “focused on delivering custody operations that support community safety and is committed to the training, safety and wellbeing of members performing duties in watch houses across the state”.
“The QPS continues to progress all 34 recommendations arising from the QPS Watchhouse Review, with a focus on delivering sustainable improvements across all watch houses.”
The ABC has contacted the police minister for comment.