SafeWork SA releases 2023-2024 Activity report

SafeWork SA Releases 2023-2024 Activity Report

SafeWork SA has released its activity report for 2023-2024, revealing a marked escalation in compliance and enforcement activity across South Australian workplaces. The regulator recorded its highest number of statutory notices in a decade, alongside a targeted enforcement operation covering high-risk industry sectors.

Key Highlights

The report outlines several notable developments for the 2023-2024 period, including:

• New regulations introduced to strengthen protections for workers across South Australia
• A record-setting issuance of statutory notices, the highest figure recorded in a decade
• A safety enforcement operation focused on high-risk sectors, including construction, electrical, and plant-related industries

According to the report, SafeWork SA significantly increased its compliance activities compared with the 2022-2023 financial year, reflecting a stronger regulatory focus on managing risk and hazardous conditions across South Australian worksites.

Enforcement Activity by the Numbers

The escalation in compliance activity led to a substantial rise in enforcement figures. In 2023-2024, SafeWork SA issued:

• 6,021 statutory notices — a 57 percent increase, the highest total recorded in a decade
• 6,813 work site inspections — a 33 percent rise on the previous year
• 4,456 improvement notices — a 67 percent increase, addressing hazardous plant, electrical faults, and other risk factors identified on site
• 995 prohibition notices — a 63 percent growth, reflecting stricter action against immediate safety and health risks

These figures point to a broader industry-wide push toward improved safety outcomes, with construction, electrical work, and plant operation among the sectors receiving heightened scrutiny throughout 2023 and into 2024.

Focus on High-Risk Sectors

Construction remains a priority industry for SafeWork SA, given the frequency of hazardous plant use, electrical hazards, and exposure risks such as asbestos on active sites. The 2023-2024 report highlights ongoing efforts to reduce risk in these environments through inspections and targeted notices.

Asbestos management continues to be a critical health and safety concern for South Australian industry, particularly in older buildings undergoing renovation or demolition. Electrical safety and plant compliance also featured prominently in the report, reflecting the regulator's focus on sectors where equipment-related risk is highest.

Health outcomes for workers remain central to SafeWork SA's enforcement approach, with prohibition notices used to address immediate risks tied to hazardous plant, electrical systems, and asbestos exposure. Together, these figures underscore SafeWork SA's commitment to reducing preventable harm across South Australian industry.

Organisations seeking to benchmark their own safety performance may find it useful to review comparable regulatory activity, such as the Safe Work Australia WHS Strategy 2023-2033 Baseline Report, or the 2023 Interim Review of the List of Deemed Disease in Australia, both of which provide additional context on national safety trends affecting industry.

For businesses managing asbestos risk on construction sites, staying current with regulatory updates such as the Silica Dust Code of Practice update can support broader compliance efforts alongside SafeWork SA's requirements.

Access the Full Report

Businesses and safety professionals can access the complete report on the SafeWork SA website. Reviewing the report in full offers valuable insight into inspection trends, notice volumes, and sector-specific risk data supporting South Australia's 2023-2024 compliance year.