New 10 year national strategy for safe and healthy workplaces

A new 10-year national strategy to reduce workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses in Australia has been released.

The Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033 sets a national vision of safe and healthy work for all and provides a platform for delivering key work health and safety (WHS) improvements.

Developed under Safe Work Australia’s tripartite governance processes and agreed to by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, the strategy represents a national commitment to work together to reduce worker fatalities, injuries and illnesses over the next decade.

It outlines targets to measure progress over the next 10 years, including a reduction in worker fatalities caused by traumatic injuries by 30 per cent. 

“Everyone who goes to work has the right to return home safely,” Safe Work Australia Chief Executive Officer, Michelle Baxter said.

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“While data shows that fatal and serious injuries at work have declined over the last decade, Australian workers are still getting sick and injured, sometimes fatally, from work,” she added. 

More than 150 stakeholders were consulted on the development of the Strategy, which addresses ongoing and emerging challenges in work health and safety over the next decade, including: 

• managing psychosocial risks, 
• the rise of artificial intelligence, 
• automation and related technologies, and 
• new types of work including gig work.

“Achieving the vision of the Strategy – Safe and healthy work for all – is not possible without the important contributions of key stakeholders,” Safe Work Australia Chair, Joanne Farrell said. 

“Jurisdictions, industry groups, WHS researchers, experts, practitioners and workers all have a role to play in realising progress under the Strategy,” she continued, inviting “everyone in the work health and safety system to play a part in realising the ambitious outcomes set by the Strategy.”

Read the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033 on the Safe Work Australia website.