Former local authority executive Cathy Henderson has been appointed CEO of WorkSafe Victoria.

She was most recently CEO of Merri-bek City Council and has held senior roles at City of Darebin and City of Port Phillip in Melbourne, plus Waverley Council in NSW.

Ashley West was acting as CEO at the workplace health and safety regulator after Joe Calafiore left earlier this year.

The state government says Ms Henderson is an “experienced leader skilled in financial management and community engagement … [she] is well placed to drive WorkSafe’s strategy to reduce workplace harm, help more injured workers recover and return to work, and deliver a sustainable future for Victoria’s WorkCover scheme”.

WorkSafe received more than 34,500 claims last financial year and supported more than 26,000 injured workers.

Its five-year goals include a 30% reduction in workplace fatalities, a 20% reduction in workplace injuries and a 10% improvement in return to work rates.