Stay safe this October with National Safe Work Month

The mental and physical load of being a tradie can be hardcore. And, as a tradesperson, you are more likely to be injured at work than pretty much most professions. Every day, on building sites, in factories, offices and other areas of the workforce, workers are injured. But it doesn’t have to be that way, says Marie Boland, CEO of Safe Work Australia (SWA). 

“In 2023, 200 people lost their lives at work and there were 139,000 serious workers’ compensation claims for injuries and illnesses,” Marie says. “No one should lose their life or have their life seriously altered by injury or illness because of their job – that’s why each October Safe Work Australia puts work health and safety (WHS) in the spotlight through our National Safe Work Month campaign.”

This October, Safe Work Australia is encouraging employers and workers to join the campaign and apply the risk management approach in your workplace, which includes these four key steps:

1. Identify hazards

2. Assess risks

3. Control the risks

4. Review the controls that are in place

“The risk management approach can be applied to both physical and mental health hazards, like racism, sexism, and bullying and harassment, as well as less visible hazards, including high job demands (too much work and not enough time or capability to get it done) and low job control (if you have little say over the work and how it’s done),” Marie says.

We found out more about how you can be part of the solution to help keep Australia’s workplaces safer. 

What is National Safe Work Month?

An annual event since 2009, National Safe Work Month 2025 is a chance for everyone, whether a business owner, manager or tradesperson, to look at their workplace and ask how they can make them safer and healthier.

This year, the theme is “Safety: every job, every day” with the aim of encouraging all workplaces – regardless of occupation, industry, location and size – to prioritise safety every day.

A safe and healthy workplace is a fundamental right, from the obvious stuff like making sure safety and warning notices are visible and making sure PPE is onsite and being used to encouraging workers to discuss their mental health. Vital organisations such as TIACS are here to help with the latter.

“Throughout National Safe Work Month, we’ll have practical activities designed to help you practise safety: every job, every day in October and beyond,” Marie says.

We take a look at what’s planned over the four weeks of National Safe Work Month.

Week 1: Identify hazards

Identifying hazards is the first step in the risk management process and involves finding things and situations that could potentially cause harm to people. Harm can be physical, psychological or both, and even if you’ve already got a risk register or other safety documents in place, it’s important to regularly review them to see if anything has changed.

“This goes beyond physical things you can see,” Marie adds. “You can use this approach to identify mental health hazards, too. For example, workers might talk about feeling burned out or stressed because of their job. That’s a sign that mental health hazards might be present.”

Tip: Did you know Bunnings Trade has teamed up with counselling service TIACS to raise awareness about tradie mental health support? Check out our article on how to protect your mental health as a tradie.

Week 2: Assess risks

Once you’ve identified hazards, the next thing you need to do is assess those risks by asking yourself – and others – what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard, and how likely is it that it could happen?

“A risk assessment can be as simple as a discussion with your workers or involve specific risk analysis tools and techniques developed for specific risks or recommended by safety professionals,” Marie says. “For some complex situations, expert or specialist advice may be useful when conducting a risk assessment.” That’s when OH&S officers, union reps or other relevant experts can help.

Week 3: Control risks

Employers are responsible for managing work health and safety risks, including implementing controls, but they must do so in consultation with their workers – for example, ensuring they know how to use equipment safely.

In some circumstances, it’s easy to make a difference yourself. “Some risks you can identify, assess and control on the spot – like a liquid spill on a tiled floor,” Marie says. “For hazards like this where the risk is well known and understood, controls can be implemented right away without the need to do a full risk assessment.”

PPE is a classic example. From gloves to glasses, masks and more, make sure it’s readily available to wear and that it’s used correctly – and keep an eye out for others who might quickly pick up a tool without first putting the right protection on.

Week 4: Review controls

Controls are only effective if they work like they’re supposed to, which is why reviewing them is an essential part of the whole process – don’t wait until something goes wrong! Talk to your workmates and make sure safety procedures are being followed, that health and safety incidents are reducing over time, and that any new hazards introduced by the controls are also managed.

“Employers should create a culture where safety is a priority and workers feel comfortable to raise risks and share where things aren’t working as expected. This helps create a safer workplace for all,” Marie says.

How you can help

Don’t wait for someone else to get the ball rolling this October, it’s your workplace, so join in the campaign to keep it safe. Check out Safe Work Australia’s resource hub for resources to plan and promote National Safe Work Month in your workplace.

“We encourage everyone to be a champion of health and safety by getting involved in the risk management process, identifying hazards and suggesting controls. By making safety: every job, every day a reality, we can reduce the rate of fatalities, serious injuries and illnesses in our workplaces,” Marie says.

Downing tools for the holidays?

Check out our story on safety tips for construction site shutdown.

*The information in this article is general in nature. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. Bunnings does not represent or warrant that the content of this article is accurate or that the information contained is suitable for your needs. Please consider your specific circumstances and seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or medical condition.