NSW construction safety roundtable follows 13 worker deaths

Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis and SafeWork NSW Commissioner Janet Schorer met with representatives from construction firms, industry associations, unions and community organisations. Discussions covered the sector’s safety performance, major risks and opportunities to work together on improvements across an industry employing 400,000 people in NSW.

Recent SafeWork NSW compliance activities found that most construction businesses were meeting their obligations. However, some employers continued to put workers at risk because they lacked adequate systems to manage work health and safety. Falls from height remain the leading cause of traumatic deaths in NSW’s building and construction industry and a significant cause of injuries.

Cotsis said the roundtable gave the Government and SafeWork an opportunity to hear from industry leaders, workers, unions and families of construction workers who had died about ways to improve safety. She called for fewer fatalities and serious injuries so workers could return home safely to their families.

Schorer said: “The construction sector is one of the most high-risk industries in NSW.” She described the roundtable as an opportunity to raise awareness of common failings and harms identified by SafeWork NSW, and to draw on participants’ knowledge and influence to develop industry-led safety improvements.

The NSW Government established SafeWork as a stand-alone regulator in 2025 to strengthen accountability and transparency. It has also increased penalties for non-compliance and introduced industrial manslaughter laws carrying 20-year jail terms.

Psychosocial hazards are receiving increasing attention in construction as mental health claims and requests for services relating to psychosocial issues rise. The Government has invested $127.7 million in SafeWork, including its largest inspectorate expansion. An additional 52 inspectors have been appointed, including 20 specialised psychosocial inspectors and five psychosocial investigators.

Workers with workplace health and safety concerns can contact SafeWork anonymously on 13 10 50 or through the Speak Up Save Lives website.

Information about managing risks associated with working at heights, mobile plant and psychosocial hazards in construction is available on the SafeWork NSW website.

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