Transport, postal, and warehousing industries topped list of workplace fatalities in 2025

Transport, postal and warehousing industries topped the list of workplace fatalities in 2025, accounting for 65 of the 178 workers killed on the job, according to preliminary figures released by Safe Work Australia.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing followed with 25 workplace deaths, ahead of construction with 19. Vehicles, mobile plant and heavy machinery continue to sit behind the majority of fatal incidents reported nationally.

Workplace deaths by sector in 2025

• Transport, postal & warehousing industry: 65 fatalities
• Agriculture, forestry and fishing: 25
• Construction industry: 19
• Public administration and safety: 9
• Other services: 7
• Mining industry: 6
• Sectors not specified: 24

Preliminary tallies remain subject to revision as coronial findings are handed down. Even so, the ranking has barely shifted year on year — freight and logistics operations keep absorbing the heaviest toll, and the agriculture industry keeps holding second place.

Why the transport industry keeps topping the list

Long distances, driver fatigue and health monitoring gaps, tight delivery windows and constant interaction between moving vehicles and people on foot expose this industry to hazards few sectors face daily. Road crashes remain the leading cause of death for truck drivers, couriers and delivery crews working across Australia.

Warehousing operations inside the same industry layer on forklift traffic, loading dock movements, racking collapse and repetitive manual tasks. Every one of those hazards demands documented risk assessments, verified competency and supervision matched to operational tempo. For a closer look at the trend, read our analysis of rising fatalities across the transport and warehousing industry and our earlier report on why transport leads in workplace fatalities.

What the figures mean for industry safety management

Sector results are more than a scoreboard. Reviewing them tells safety professionals where exposure genuinely sits, which industry benchmarks deserve scrutiny, and where the next management review should focus attention and budget.

Three actions carry the most weight:

• Rank the highest-risk tasks first. Vehicle movements, mobile plant interaction and working at height account for most deaths in transport, freight and construction operations.
• Verify that engineering and administrative controls still function. Written procedures mean little if pre-start checks, exclusion zones and traffic plans have quietly lapsed on site.
• Keep documentation current. Industry-specific procedures, SWMS and inductions must reflect how crews actually perform each job today.

Supervision is critical where subcontractors, casual staff and multiple employers share a single yard, dock or depot. Clear accountability reinforces a positive safety culture and reduces avoidable risk exposure for everyone on the ground.

Industry-ready safety management documentation

Sound paperwork underpins every serious prevention effort. Our transport and warehousing safety packages and freight, courier and depot templates give operators an audit-ready foundation without starting from scratch.

Businesses needing broader coverage can adopt an integrated management system for transport and warehousing, while New Zealand operators can implement a compliant road transport and warehousing OHS management system. Meeting industry leaders face to face also helps — join us at the Workplace Health and Safety Show.

Source: Safe Work Australia work-related fatality statistics.