SafeWork NSW expands safety outreach to CALD construction communities
28 July 2026•BlueSafe Team•Source: SafeWork NSW
SafeWork NSW has partnered with the Chinese Building Association NSW for a toolbox talk in North Ryde, helping construction workers and business operators from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds understand workplace safety obligations.
Held in June, the event formed part of SafeWork NSW’s ongoing engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities across NSW. The outreach gives construction workers opportunities to hear directly from the regulator about their responsibilities under work health and safety laws.
Workers with Chinese ancestry are among the fastest-growing groups in the construction workforce, while the number of workers with Indian or Middle Eastern backgrounds is also increasing. SafeWork NSW is responding to these demographic changes by sharing safety messages and resources with CALD workers.
Its outreach includes builders’ breakfasts and toolbox talks open to tradespeople, site supervisors and others undertaking construction work, alongside engagement with industry associations and unions. Where possible, important safety information on the regulator’s website is available in HTML so it can be translated using in-browser translation apps.
Falls from height and incidents involving mobile plant are among the most common causes of serious injury or death on construction sites. SafeWork NSW reported receiving notifications of more than 2,229 construction workplace incidents in the past 12 months, including 13 fatalities.
The source identifies inadequate job planning, poor site supervision and failure to use established preventative controls as typical contributors to these risks. Those controls include edge protection, void covers and platform ladders, which it describes as inexpensive and easy to apply.
In a separate engagement on 25 February 2026, SafeWork NSW joined Building Commission NSW at a Builders Workshop in North Western Sydney. The workshop communicated safety and compliance information to South East Asian and Middle Eastern builders and stakeholders.
SafeWork NSW plans to continue working with CALD construction communities so safety information is presented appropriately and reaches workers and businesses. Eligible event participants can also apply for the $1,000 SafeWork NSW Small Business Rebate to fund safety improvements, including platform ladders and edge protection equipment.
The SafeWork NSW website also provides information on managing work-at-height risks, mobile plant safety and psychosocial risks in construction.
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