Safe Work Australia states that practicing safety every day can reduce the rate of fatalities, serious injuries and illnesses in our workplaces and ensure everyone gets home safely from work. Safety requires a collective effort from employers and employees, which is why Work Safe are focusing on the risk management process – identify hazards, assess risks, control risks, and review controls – providing practical resources, every day during October and beyond. 

We look at the safety risk management process and highlight key learning opportunities available across the month.

Why use a risk management process to assess safety?

Workplace incidents and injuries can have a significant impact on all aspects of a person’s life, so most people understand why it’s important. Risk management involves thinking about what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard and how likely it is to happen. An effective process helps to keep safety standards at the forefront, as it works to identify, assess, control, and review hazards. The aim is to remove risks or reduce them as much as practicable.

For employers, implementing a risk management process is not just about compliance with legal obligations under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act, but also about protecting their most valuable asset, their workforce. Effective risk management can prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, reduce absenteeism, and enhance productivity. It also helps in avoiding legal liabilities and financial losses associated with workplace accidents and incidents.

Strong safety cultures are often linked to specific occupational settings, including warehouses, manufacturing facilities, construction sites, and skilled trades. However, safety should be applied to all workplaces. Slips, trips and falls, for example, can occur in any environment, as can psychosocial hazards. Risk management also helps employees to identify areas for improvement to comply with their positive duty under Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth).

For individuals, understanding and participating in the risk management process facilitates a more collective and effective approach to workplace safety. This also applies to on-hired workers, independent contractors and sole traders. Those on the ground have invaluable insights into potential hazards, which means they are often best placed to identify and help control risks. Education relating to risks and risk management, as well as building a culture of accountability and reporting potential incidents is crucial.

What are some key safety learning opportunities?

During National Safe Work Month, a range of cost-effective development opportunities are available for employers and employees in each state. Safe Work Australia are also holding three free seminars designed for employers and Health and Safety Reps in October:

• Mentally healthy workplaces in a dynamically changing landscape, 9 October 2025 at 2pm AEDT
• HSR Forum: Moving beyond problem framing to achieve safety outcomes, 14 October 2025 at 1.30pm AEDT
• Supporting psychological safety through consultation, 23 October 2025 at 1.30pm AEDT

Many organisations are focusing on workplace behaviours that promote mental health and psychological safety. Workplace behaviour training is no longer optional - it is a legal obligation. Obligations under the Respect@Work Act require employers to prevent bullying, harassment, and discrimination through education. By embedding respect and accountability into your workplace, organisations are aiming to protect their people, organisation, and reputation.

Our Workplace Relations team offers training on Workplace Behaviour, Sexual Harassment and Bullying & Harassment to help employees gain a better understanding of what is appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.
 
Whatever you decide to do, numerous resources and tools are available, so we encourage you to use them this month to help your team improve, focusing on specific areas of workplace safety or reporting procedures.