Safe Work Australia has published its Best Practice Review of the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, outlining 21 recommendations to strengthen workplace protections and improve national coordination.
The report, released following agreement from WHS ministers, examines how Australia’s regulatory framework can respond to existing and emerging workplace risks.
Workplace fatalities prompt calls for action
The Review follows growing concerns about workplace fatalities, with 222 workers losing their lives from traumatic workplace injuries in 2025, the highest annual figure since 2012.
It recommends establishing a dedicated national strategy to reduce work related deaths.
The report also calls for improvements in how coronial findings are shared, assessed and acted upon across Australian jurisdictions.
Strengthening consistency in WHS enforcement
The Review identifies continued support for nationally harmonised WHS laws, which provide consistent protections for workers and obligations for businesses operating across different jurisdictions.
However, it highlights that effective harmonisation requires more than aligned legislation.
Consistent implementation and enforcement are also necessary to maintain workplace safety standards throughout Australia.
Emerging workplace risks require national strategies
Three major challenges are identified as reshaping workplace health and safety: artificial intelligence, climate change and harmful workplace behaviours. The latter includes workplace violence and harassment.
The Review recommends coordinated national strategies to address these challenges and ensure the regulatory framework remains responsive to changing working environments.
Marie Boland, CEO of Safe Work Australia, said: “Every worker in Australia should have the same strong safety protections, regardless of where they live, what industry they work in, or the jurisdiction that regulates their workplace.
“The latest statistics are a stark reminder that too many Australians are still losing their lives at work from known and preventable causes. Too many workers continue to be killed by the same well-known hazards and preventable risks.
“Australia must do more to learn from every workplace fatality and turn those lessons into action. That is why the Review recommends immediate action by Safe Work Australia to work directly with high-risk industries and relevant unions to establish a strategic national approach to reducing work-related fatalities, and with jurisdictions to improve how coronial findings are shared and acted on across Australia.
“Australia is also facing major challenges as work and workplaces adapt to changes in operating environments. Climate change, artificial intelligence and harmful workplace behaviours are creating new and increasingly complex work health and safety risks. These challenges require coordinated national leadership. Without coordinated action, we risk undermining the gains made in improving protections for workers and the clarity provided to businesses about their obligations.
“The Review found strong support for harmonised work health and safety laws, but laws alone are not enough. Consistent regulation, effective enforcement and national cooperation are critical to reducing fatalities and ensuring workers receive the same level of protection wherever they work.
“The Review provides a practical roadmap for achieving this. If we are serious about ensuring every worker returns home safe and healthy, the task is clear: act on the recommendations, work together nationally and continue building a system that protects workers today and into the future.”
