Safe Work Australia updates workplace fatality figures

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Safe Work Australia Updates Workplace Fatality Figures

Safe Work Australia has released the latest work related fatality figures, confirming ongoing challenges in workplace safety management across the country. The figures show as at 9 December 2021, 132 Australian workers have been killed at work in 2021.

Industry Breakdown of Fatalities

The transport, postal & warehousing industry has recorded 46 fatalities, making it the sector requiring urgent safety management attention. Agriculture, forestry & fishing follows with 25 fatalities, while construction has recorded 20 fatalities this year.

According to Safe Work Australia, the manufacturing industry has seen 12 fatalities, while mining has lost 7 workers in 2021. Effective safety management remains critical for reducing these numbers across every high-risk sector.

• Transport, postal & warehousing: 46 fatalities
• Agriculture, forestry & fishing: 25 fatalities
• Construction: 20 fatalities
• Manufacturing: 12 fatalities
• Mining: 7 fatalities
• Arts & recreation services: 5 fatalities
• Public administration & safety: 5 fatalities

Other industries recording fatalities include arts & recreation services and public administration & safety, each with 5 fatalities. Strong safety management practices are essential for businesses operating within these sectors, alongside those already mentioned above.

Industries With Zero Recorded Fatalities

Figures show no work-related deaths have been reported in financial & insurance services, information media & telecommunications, professional, scientific & technical services, and rental, hiring & real estate services industries. These results highlight what robust safety management can achieve when embedded into daily operations.

Why This Matters for Safety Professionals

These figures reinforce why safety management deserves priority across construction, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors. Businesses committed to protecting their workforce should review current practices against Safe Work Australia benchmarks and strengthen documentation such as Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS).

For high-risk tasks such as manual handling, having a compliant Manual Handling Safe Work Method Statement in place supports better safety management outcomes and reduces exposure to preventable injuries.

Similarly, rigging and equipment operation tasks carry significant risk. A documented Rigging Safe Work Procedure or Jigsaw Safe Work Method Statement helps organisations demonstrate strong safety management commitment while meeting compliance obligations.

Strengthening Safety Culture Beyond the Numbers

Organisations serious about reducing workplace harm should treat these statistics as a call to action rather than a passive report. Health outcomes for workers depend heavily on leadership commitment to safety management systems, ongoing training, and consistent hazard identification.

Participation in initiatives like National Safe Work Month offers businesses an opportunity to reinforce safety management principles and engage employees in meaningful safety conversations.

Australia's fatality figures continue to evolve each year, and comparing current data against previous reports—such as our coverage of the 2022 fatality figures and 2023 figures—reveals patterns worth monitoring closely.

For the most recent statistics, readers can also review our summary of Safe Work Australia's 2023 workplace fatality figures, which builds on the trends outlined in this report.

See Safe Work Australia's latest workplace fatality figures here.

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