SafeWork NSW is signalling it expects NSW businesses to make meaningful safety improvements in the workplace, with the release of its 2026-27 SafeWork NSW Regulatory Statement (SRS).
Informed by data, evidence and stakeholder insights, the 2026-27 SRS outlines SafeWork NSW’s regulatory priorities, compliance and enforcement approach and focus areas for the year ahead.
SafeWork’s priorities have remained largely consistent over the past two years. This year, the four key priority areas are:
- Falls from heights
- Psychosocial risks
- Hazardous substances
- Mobile plant, vehicles and fixed machinery.
These areas remain among the leading contributors to serious injury and fatalities in New South Wales workplaces.
In the past 12 months, over 600 incidents, including five fatalities, reported to SafeWork NSW related to a fall from height and more than 500 incidents and eight fatalities related to mobile plant.
During this same period, SafeWork NSW also received more than 2,200 requests for service and was notified of over 190 workplace incidents related to psychosocial hazards.
Hazardous substances also continued to present significant risks for workers across a range of industries with SafeWork NSW Inspectors issuing more than 145 silica-related notices and receiving over 45 reports of silicosis cases in the past 12 months.
The SRS sets out what SafeWork NSW will focus on over the next financial year to address these hazards and the principles that will guide how it regulates.
The SRS reinforces SafeWork NSW’s commitment to worker consultation on Work Health and Safety (WHS) risks and actions, employer compliance with WHS Codes of Practice, and targeted initiatives for worker groups at higher risk of harm, including young and migrant workers.
This is the second SRS SafeWork NSW has released since transitioning to a standalone regulator on 1 July last year.
This new SRS demonstrates SafeWork NSW’s clear and strengthened risk-based approach to regulation, using a broad range of regulatory tools available to focus on harms with the greatest potential impact on preventing fatalities, serious injury and illness.
Over the past 12 months, SafeWork NSW has delivered on key priorities it set out to achieve as a regulator.
These priorities include:
- The establishment of the SafeWork Advisory Council, a tripartite council that brings together representatives of workers, employers, workplace safety experts and families with lived experience of losing a loved one to a workplace fatality, to provide strategic advice to SafeWork NSW and the NSW Government.
- The expansion of the psychosocial inspectorate and establishment of the Psychosocial Advisory Service, supported by a $127.7 million funding boost from the NSW Government to better address workplace mental health risks.
- The Tunnelling Dust Safety Taskforce in response to respirable crystalline silica risks and hazards to drive more consistent risk management practices across the sector.
- The establishment of the Silica Worker Register on 1 October 2025 to monitor and track the health of workers exposed to crystalline silica, with more than 15,000 workers added since its launch.
- Increased transparency on the work that SafeWork NSW does, through new reporting requirements under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. This six-monthly report includes achievements, challenges, program management, regulatory engagement and governance of SafeWork NSW.
- The implementation of key legislative reforms, such as workplace protection reforms aimed at strengthening workplace safety by making Codes of Practice legally enforceable, introducing tougher compliance measures and expanding protections against bullying, harassment and unsafe work practices. SafeWork NSW has also started consultation on Digital Work Systems Guidelines – part of key reforms aimed at extending protections to workers in digitally managed industries.
The priorities outlined in the new SRS complement, align with, and sit alongside SafeWork NSW’s core regulatory functions as the state’s WHS regulator.
More information on the 2026-27 SafeWork NSW Regulatory Statement is available on the SafeWork NSW website.
SafeWork Commissioner Janet Schorer said:
“It has been a strong 12 months for SafeWork NSW, as we have sharpened our focus on meeting our priorities while remaining a fit-for-purpose regulator.
“The new 2026-27 SafeWork NSW Regulatory Statement highlights SafeWork NSW’s commitment to protecting workers and preventing harm in workplaces by delivering strong, evidence-based and robust regulatory guidelines and principles.
“Since becoming a standalone regulator, we’ve not seen much of a change in our regulatory priorities between 2025/26 and 2026/27.
“This signals to me that, while we have work to do as a regulator, it’s also important for businesses in those key priority areas to think really seriously about their work health and safety in terms of what is working well and what needs to be improved.
“As SafeWork NSW continues its journey, our focus remains on prevention by helping workplaces understand their obligations, lifting capability, and addressing risks early.”
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