SafeWork NSW Sets Firm Safety Agenda in 2026–27 Regulatory Statement

SafeWork NSW has released its 2026–27 SafeWork NSW Regulatory Statement (SRS), clearly signalling that New South Wales businesses are expected to deliver measurable improvements in workplace safety over the coming year.

Developed using incident data, evidence-based analysis and feedback from industry stakeholders, the 2026–27 SRS sets out SafeWork NSW’s regulatory priorities, compliance and enforcement approach, and key areas of focus for the next financial year.

The regulator has maintained a largely consistent risk profile over the past two years. For 2026–27, the four core priority areas again include falls from height, mobile plant, psychosocial hazards and hazardous substances, which remain among the leading causes of serious injuries and fatalities across NSW workplaces.

In the last 12 months alone, SafeWork NSW was notified of more than 600 incidents involving falls from height, including five worker fatalities. Over 500 incidents and eight deaths were linked to mobile plant. During the same period, the regulator received more than 2,200 requests for service and over 190 notifiable incidents associated with psychosocial hazards, highlighting the growing importance of robust mental health and wellbeing controls within WHS management systems.

Hazardous substances, particularly respirable crystalline silica, continue to pose significant health risks. SafeWork NSW Inspectors issued more than 145 silica-related notices and received over 45 reports of silicosis cases in the past year, reinforcing the need for comprehensive workplace policies, procedures and Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) that effectively manage exposure risks. Businesses can strengthen their documentation and controls by adopting structured WHS management systems and SWMS templates, such as those available from specialist providers like BlueSafe.

The 2026–27 SRS describes how SafeWork NSW will target these hazards, outlining the principles that guide its regulatory decision-making. This includes a clear emphasis on early intervention, risk-based enforcement and the strategic use of the full suite of regulatory tools to prevent fatalities, serious injuries and occupational disease.

The Statement reinforces SafeWork NSW’s ongoing commitment to genuine worker consultation on WHS risks and control measures, as required under WHS legislation. It also underscores the expectation that duty holders will comply with relevant WHS Codes of Practice and implement fit-for-purpose WHS policies and procedures that reflect the specific risks of their operations.

Targeted initiatives will continue to focus on worker groups at higher risk of harm, including young workers, migrant workers and those in insecure or precarious employment. SafeWork NSW has indicated that these groups will remain a priority for education, engagement and compliance activities.

This is the second SRS issued since SafeWork NSW became a standalone regulator on 1 July last year. The new Statement demonstrates a strengthened, risk-based regulatory approach, directing resources to the harms with the greatest potential to cause death, permanent disability or long-term illness.

Over the past 12 months, SafeWork NSW reports that it has delivered against the key priorities identified in its previous SRS, while continuing to perform its core regulatory functions as the state’s WHS regulator. The new priorities are designed to complement and sit alongside these core functions, rather than replace them.

SafeWork Commissioner Janet Schorer said the organisation has had a strong year, sharpening its focus on priority risks while ensuring it remains a fit-for-purpose regulator. She noted that the limited change in regulatory priorities between 2025–26 and 2026–27 indicates that, while SafeWork NSW still has work to do, businesses operating in the key risk areas must also critically review their work health and safety performance, including what is effective and what requires improvement.

Commissioner Schorer emphasised that SafeWork NSW’s ongoing focus is on prevention: helping workplaces understand their obligations, building WHS capability, and addressing risks early through proactive engagement, enforcement where necessary, and clear regulatory guidance.

NSW businesses are encouraged to review the 2026–27 SRS in detail, assess how the identified priorities apply to their operations, and ensure their WHS management systems, SWMS, and policies and procedures are current, implemented in practice and regularly reviewed for effectiveness. More information on the 2026–27 SafeWork NSW Regulatory Statement is available on the SafeWork NSW website.