Safe Work Australia Launches Campaign to Improve Food Delivery Worker Safety

Safe Work Australia has developed a new safety campaign targeting food delivery workers across the country. The ‘Deliver Yourself Home Safely’ initiative aims to raise awareness of occupational health and safety within the food delivery industry, an area where risk management remains a pressing concern for both operators and regulators.

Why This Campaign Matters

Safe Work Australia figures indicate 10 food delivery workers have been killed while working since 2019. That statistic alone highlights why stronger safety management practices are urgently needed across delivery services nationwide.

Food delivery has grown rapidly as an industry, particularly following shifts in consumer habits toward app-based ordering. With that growth comes greater responsibility for platforms, restaurants, and workers themselves to prioritise health and wellbeing on the road.

What Safe Work Australia CEO Says

Safe Work Australia CEO Michelle Baxter said, “It’s important food delivery workers understand what they can do to be safe at work, as well as who they can talk to about work health and safety, so they can get home safely.”

Her comments underscore a broader goal of the campaign: ensuring delivery personnel have access to clear information and support services when safety concerns arise on the job.

Campaign Details and Reach

Safe Work Australia has this month launched materials translated into several languages, including Vietnamese, Urdu, Mandarin and Punjabi, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of workers within the food delivery workforce. The awareness campaign runs from 3 May to September 2023, giving businesses and workers time to engage with its resources.

By translating materials, Safe Work Australia has today launched an initiative designed to remove language barriers that often prevent workers from understanding their rights and responsibilities. This approach strengthens compliance across a workforce that includes many culturally and linguistically diverse employees.

Health and Safety Management for Delivery Services

Effective safety management within food delivery services depends on more than awareness alone. Businesses operating delivery services should consider the following steps to support worker health and reduce workplace risk:

• Provide clear guidance on safe riding and driving practices for delivery personnel
• Ensure workers have access to appropriate protective equipment
• Establish reporting channels for health and safety concerns
• Review management systems regularly to identify emerging risks within the industry
• Communicate safety information in multiple languages where the workforce requires it

Strong safety management also means integrating health considerations into everyday operations rather than treating them as an afterthought. For delivery services, this could involve scheduling practices that reduce fatigue, alongside ongoing monitoring of road conditions that affect worker safety.

Supporting Compliance Across the Food Delivery Industry

Compliance with health and safety obligations is not optional for businesses operating within the food delivery industry. Safe Work Australia’s campaign serves as a reminder that platforms and employers share responsibility for protecting workers, regardless of employment classification.

For further guidance on managing safety obligations, read Safe Work Australia’s campaign aims to keep food delivery workers safe, which explores the initiative in more depth.

Businesses managing on-road risks may also benefit from reviewing documentation such as a Safe Work Method Statement, which supports safety management for various work activities beyond food delivery services.

Broader Context: Other Safe Work Australia Campaigns

This isn’t the first awareness campaign Safe Work Australia has rolled out this year. The organisation also launched an anti-stigma campaign focused on workers’ compensation, detailed in Workers’ Compensation: Safe Work Australia Launches Anti-Stigma Campaign.

Additionally, Safe Work Australia has addressed other pressing hazards, including silica dust exposure, discussed further in Safe Work Australia Launches Campaign to Prevent Silica Dust Exposure in the Workplace. Together, these campaigns demonstrate a consistent commitment to improving health outcomes across multiple industries.

Resources for Employers and Workers

Additional resources are available on the Safe Work Australia website for employers and workers seeking further information about the ‘Deliver Yourself Home Safely’ campaign. These materials support businesses in strengthening their own safety management frameworks while helping delivery workers understand available support services.

Employers looking to build broader safety documentation for their teams might also explore related templates, such as the Safety Harness SWMS or the Asbestos Safety – Working in Roofs SWMS, both of which support compliance across high-risk work environments.

Looking Ahead

As food delivery services continue to expand across Australia, ongoing investment in worker health and safety management will remain essential. Campaigns like this one offer a valuable starting point, but sustained change depends on employers embedding safety into daily operations across the industry.

Businesses can also stay engaged with broader safety initiatives by reviewing information available through National Safe Work Month 2023, which promotes safety awareness across Australian workplaces throughout October.