What Australia’s 2025 Work Health and Safety data means for employers

What Australia’s 2025 Work Health and Safety data means for employers

Every day in Australia, more than 400 workers lodge serious compensation claims. Behind each claim is a story of lost productivity, rising costs and considerable human impact. The Safe Work Australia report¹ reveals that risk isn’t declining or disappearing; it is instead evolving. Whilst fatality rates have improved, the volume and complexity of serious injuries remain a major challenge for businesses across a range of industries. Ensuring you have the right risk management strategy in place is essential to reducing workplace injuries and minimising their costly, time-consuming effects.

The big picture

In 2024, 188 workers were fatally injured, sitting at a rate of 1.3 deaths per 100,000 workers. This equates to a significant decrease of 24% from 2014, with progress remaining steady in recent years. 

However, serious injuries continue to have a significant impact with 146,700 serious workers’ compensation claims lodged in 2023-24, which involved at least one week of working time lost (often being much more). 

The reality is that whilst improvements can be seen in the reduction of fatalities and Australia’s work-related injury rate against the global average, the evolving nature of injuries and claims continue to pose significant challenges for employers. 

Businesses must avoid looking at these statistics in isolation and focus on addressing the systemic factors driving injury and time away from work. 

Inside Australia’s risk hotspots

An important take away from the data is that 80% of work-related traumatic injury fatalities and 61% of serious workers’ compensation claims were concentrated in just six industries:

• Agriculture, forestry and fishing
• Transport, postal & warehousing
• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Health care and social assistance
• Public administration and safety

For employers in these sectors, risk management isn’t optional, it’s mission critical. It also means a one-size-fits-all approach won’t suffice; risk management strategies must reflect industry-specific exposures and be tailored to the needs of your unique sector risk profile.

The main cost drivers

One of the most striking insights is the relationship between time away from work and cost. The 2022-2023 data shows that claims involving more than 13 weeks off work accounted for 21.9% of total claims (or 55,400) but represent 74.8% of total compensation payments (or $5.4 billion). These extended recovery times increase the financial impact of claims considerably. They also heighten premiums and disrupt workforce productivity, creating ripple effects across team performance and overall business operations. 

We can also observe a clear demographic trend in who is sustaining the majority of these injuries. Older workers are particularly vulnerable to workplace injury with employees aged 55-64 and 65+ recording the highest claim frequency and longest recovery times in 2023-2024. The medium time lost for these age groups is nearly 10 weeks.

Australia’s workforce is ageing, with more people choosing to remain in employment for longer periods - a reflection of changing workforce dynamics and evolving attitudes toward later-life work. Over the 10 years to 2023-2024, the proportion of claims accounted for by the 55-64 and 65+ cohorts increased at a rate of 1.4% and 2.5% respectively. This increase is very likely to persist into 2026.

Employers need to therefore proactively manage and protect their elder cohort of workers by adapting the workplace to cater for their unique needs. 

The mental health surge

The spotlight on psychosocial risk has never been brighter, reflecting its growing impact on workplace health and safety. It’s now a critical risk factor, requiring businesses to adapt their strategies to address the growing prevalence of mental health challenges. Mental health claims accounted for 12% of all serious claims between 2023-2024. This represents nearly a 15% increase of serious claims over the year. To add to this, the median time lost was five times higher than other serious claims. These claims bring complex financial and organisational challenges, frequently leading to extended absences and compounding physical injury claims with secondary mental health conditions.

Turning data into action

The report highlights four drivers of injury behind 84% of serious claims:

• Body stressing
• Falls, slips and trips
• Being hit by moving objects
• Mental stress 

For employers, this means focusing resources where they deliver maximum leverage. 
Practical steps could include: 

• Targeted prevention – focus on identifying and controlling high-risk activities such as manual handling and slip or trip hazards. This begins with analysing historical injury and incident data to uncover recurring trends and root causes. Use these insights to implement safer systems of work, ergonomic improvements, and tailored training programs, ensuring prevention strategies are data-driven, proactive, and continually refined to reduce future risk exposure.
• Early intervention – this prevents claims from escalating. Putting in place structured return-to-work programs and providing timely support to help employees recover faster, reduce costs and maintain productivity.
• Inclusive workforce programs – design tasks and work environments that accommodate the needs of all demographics within your workforce. Recognise that each group, whether based on age, experience, or physical capability, faces unique risks. Implement tailored controls such as task modification, improved lighting, ergonomic equipment, and flexible work design to reduce these risks and create a safer, more supportive workplace for everyone.
• Psychosocial resilience – employers must have a deep understanding of their workforce and the factors influencing wellbeing. It’s essential that leaders are equipped and confident to have difficult conversations, identify early signs of psychosocial risk, and respond appropriately. Building a culture that normalises open dialogue around mental health and provides genuine access to support services is not optional, it’s a core element of effective people risk management.

The bottom line

Behind every statistic is a person and a significant business impact. Whilst Australia’s latest WHS data shows progress in reducing fatalities, the complexity and cost of serious injuries, particularly those linked to an ageing workforce and mental health, continue to present challenges for employers. The data tells a clear story that risk management is no longer just about compliance; it’s a strategic tool for building operational resilience and your most valuable asset, being your people.

By prioritising prevention, early intervention and strategies tailored to your organisation’s unique risk profile, you can turn these insights into meaningful action. The goal shouldn’t simply be quick reactionary responses to incidents, but to instead create workplaces that reduce exposure and recovery times and support the wellbeing of every employee.

To strengthen your organisation’s approach, you should be asking: Are our systems addressing the root causes of injury? Are we equipped to manage psychosocial risk and support recovery effectively? Do we know the key drivers of claims cost and how to manage these? Have we created a culture that encourages an open dialogue around mental health? Do we have a defined Injury Management Process in place? 

These are the questions you need to be asking to build safer, more resilient workplaces. If you’re not satisfied with the answers, it’s time to start a conversation with people risk specialists.

¹Safe Work Australia, Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2025, Safe Work Australia, 16 October 2025, https://data.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-10/Key_Work_Health_and_Safety_Statistics_Australia_2025.pdf (accessed 5 November 2025).