Finalists for the 2025 Work Health and Safety Excellence Awards revealed

Judging is complete for the 2025 Work Health and Safety Excellence Awards, with 42 finalists shortlisted across five categories and winners to be announced on 28 October at Optus Stadium in Perth.

2025 shortlist at a glance

• Finalists: 42 nominees chosen by an independent judging panel
• Entries: a record 138 submissions, up more than 50 per cent year on year
• Presentation night: Tuesday 28 October, Optus Stadium, Perth
• Judging focus: practical innovation and risk management improvements inside WA workplaces

WorkSafe WA announced that a record number of 138 submissions were received for this year’s Awards, representing an increase of over 50 percent compared to the previous year. The panel of judges has identified 42 finalists in the five award divisions.

Acting WorkSafe Commissioner Jennifer Low said the Awards provided an excellent chance to publicly acknowledge accomplishments in workplace health and safety.

“These Awards recognise outstanding innovations and solutions to specific work health and safety issues in WA and a wide range of workplaces are represented in this year’s nominees”, Ms Low said.

Shortlisted organisations come from construction, manufacturing, healthcare, resources, transport and community services, which shows how widely strong safety management now sits within Western Australia. Comparing the current shortlist against the finalists for the Work Health and Safety Excellence Awards 2024 confirms that entry numbers and sector diversity are both climbing.

What judges reward: mature safety management

Every shortlisted entry shares one trait — proof that hazard management is built into daily operations rather than bolted on afterwards. Assessors want measurable results, genuine worker consultation and documented evidence of management review, not polished marketing.

Hallmarks of a strong submission

• Visible leadership: senior management owning control decisions and funding them properly
• Consultation: employees, elected representatives and contractors shaping solutions before rollout
• Systems thinking: a documented safety management system that links policy, procedure and records
• Data discipline: incident management trends plus leading indicators verifying control effectiveness
• Transferability: ideas other sites can adopt without costly redesign or specialist gear

Psychosocial risk keeps climbing the agenda

Mental health submissions have grown quickly since psychosocial hazards were formally written into harmonised legislation across the country. Sound psychosocial management covers workload design, role clarity, bullying prevention and structured support after critical incidents.

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA), duty holders must eliminate or minimise such risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Documented fatigue management and rostering oversight therefore sit squarely inside compliance, not wellbeing extras.

Turning award-winning ideas into everyday practice

Winning solutions seldom depend on expensive technology. Most begin with disciplined document management: current procedures, signed risk assessments and version-controlled forms that front-line teams genuinely use.

Supervisors and site management teams then close the loop by verifying controls in the field, coaching crews and escalating gaps quickly.

Where day-to-day discipline pays off fastest

Practical management gains usually cluster inside a handful of predictable areas:

• Chemical management: registers, current safety data sheets and storage inspections kept live
• Plant and asset management: pre-start checks, servicing logs and isolation procedures
• Traffic management: separating pedestrians from mobile plant, reviewed as conditions change
• Contractor management: prequalification, inductions and shared oversight of high-risk work
• Emergency management: tested evacuation drills, wardens and first aid coverage per shift
• Injury management: early intervention with clear return-to-work planning and medical liaison
• Change management: reassessing hazards whenever plant, people or processes shift
• Records management: retrievable proof of consultation, inspection and corrective action

Recognition beyond WA

State honours are not the only stage for benchmarking performance. Industry events such as the Workplace Health and Safety Show and campaigns including World Day for Safety and Health at Work give leadership teams further opportunities to compare management practices with peers.

Preparing your own entry

Businesses planning a future nomination should begin gathering proof now: consultation records, before-and-after data, worker feedback and honest costings. Reviewing your safety management framework against the published judging criteria early makes writing a submission far simpler once nominations reopen.

Winners of the 2025 Work Health and Safety Excellence Awards will be recognised on stage at Optus Stadium on 28 October, with all finalists listed publicly before the ceremony. Learn more here.