Safe Work Australia releases 10-year plan to improve workplace health and safety

Safe Work Australia Releases 10-Year Plan to Improve Workplace Health and Safety

Safe Work Australia has released a new 10-year plan to reduce occupational deaths, injuries and diseases. The Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033 provides a national framework for creating healthy and safe workplaces over the next decade.

This strategy aims to support employers, workers and regulators in tackling both current and emerging risks across every industry sector.

What Does the Strategy Cover?

Safe Work Australia Chief Executive Officer Michelle Baxter said, "The Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033 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."

Key focus areas of the strategy include:

• Managing psychosocial risks in modern workplace settings
• Addressing hazardous exposures linked to emerging technologies
• Preparing regulatory frameworks for gig work and non-traditional employment arrangements
• Building healthy workplace cultures that support long-term wellbeing

Why This Strategy Matters for Safety Professionals

Construction, manufacturing and healthcare businesses face unique hazardous conditions that demand proactive planning. A clear national strategy gives organisations a benchmark to measure their own workplace health practices against.

Safety leaders can use this framework to support internal reviews of their Work Health and Safety Manual (WHSM) and ensure documentation aligns with evolving national priorities.

How Organisations Can Prepare

Businesses seeking to support this national strategy should consider:

• Reviewing existing safety management plans against updated priorities
• Training teams to recognise hazardous conditions before incidents occur
• Strengthening psychosocial risk assessments across all departments
• Engaging with resources like the Workplace Health and Safety Show to stay current on industry developments

Organisations managing on-location projects may also benefit from reviewing an archived Work Health & Safety Management Plan for film locations as a reference point for structured planning.

A Decade-Long Commitment to Safer Workplaces

This strategy signals a sustained commitment from Safe Work Australia to support safer, healthier working environments nationwide. Employers who stay ahead of these changes will be better positioned to protect their workforce and remain compliant as new regulations emerge.

For further context on how national data shapes these priorities, read our related coverage on Safe Work Australia's new work health and safety data release.

Organisations can also review the Work Health & Safety Management Plan (WHSMP) Principal Pack to support broader compliance planning, and explore promotional resources from the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2023 Promotion for additional guidance.

Organisations in Western Australia should also note related regulatory developments covered in our article on the WA Government's draft Work Health and Safety regulations, which complement this broader national strategy.

Read the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033 to learn more about how this plan will support safer, healthier workplaces across Australia over the coming decade.