Tuesday 28 April is World Day for Safety and Health at Work and Workers’ Memorial Day – a day to focus on taking actions which can prevent future work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses, and a day to remember those that have died from a work-related injury or illness.

“28 April provides us with the opportunity to reflect on ways we could prevent work-related injury and illness” said Safe Work Australia Chair, Ann Sherry AO.

“Under the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012-2022 governments, unions, industry and business leaders are striving to improve work health and safety and we all have an important role to play.

“I know leaders can have a significant impact on improving work health and safety as well as improving the bottom line. Business leaders routinely manage a range of risks and can prevent injury and illness by actively managing safety risks.

“We need to reduce workers’ exposure to hazards and risks. By using good design principles we can minimise exposure by designing out the risk from the beginning – this is integral to prevention. We have come a long way in reducing the numbers injured or killed at work but there is more we can and must do. In 2014, 185* Australians lost their lives through injury at work. This is not acceptable.

“The important task for all of us is to work together to prevent further work-related death, injury and illness.

“So today, I encourage everyone to prevent further tragedy and make work health and safety your focus.”

For more information or to download the electronic resources developed by Safe Work Australia visit the Safe Work Australia website.

*preliminary data for 2014

Source: Safe Work Australia, 28 April 2015