National Safe Work Month 2025
October is National Safe Work Month, a time for employers and workers across Australia to re-commit to creating safe and healthy workplaces.
Each year, National Safe Work Month aims to encourage workplaces to create a safety focused culture within their organisations and ensure that all workers return home safely at the end of each day. WorkSafe ACT works to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of workplace health and safety in all aspects of work, every day.
This year WorkSafe ACT has aligned its NSWM theme with Safe Work Australia's. The theme for National Safe Work Month 2025 is:
Every Job, Every Day.
This year’s theme is a powerful reminder that workplace safety isn’t just a one-time initiative. It is a daily commitment. Whether you're on a construction site, in an office, behind the wheel, or working remotely, safety should be at the forefront of every task, every role, and every decision. Additional to the overarching theme, we will also have a specific focus for each week of October:
| Date | Focus |
|---|---|
Week One 1 - 5 October | Psychosocially Safe Our week one focus is on promoting psychological safety in the workplace, with a focus on identifying and managing psychosocial risks. This week we are releasing the latest episode of the WorkSafe ACT podcast, The Safety Spotlight. WHS Commissioner Jaqui Agius was joined by University of South Australia Professor Maureen Dollard to discuss what psychosocial safety in the workplace looks like, the challenges present in recognising and managing psychosocial risks, and the regulatory landscape. Listen now through the link below |
| Week 2 6 - 12 | Talk. Listen. Share. Act Week two's focus will be on highlighting the importance of effective communication and collaboration between employers and workers in managing health and safety. Consultation on health and safety matters in the workplace as required under the WHS Act, is an opportunity for PCBUs share information on risk management with workers, and for workers to contribute and express their views. To highlight the importance of consultation, WorkSafe ACT have produced a video asking some eminent Canberrans about their views and experience on workplace safety and the importance of consultation and communication. We have also had our Small Business Checklist translated into four languages, Nepali, Vietnamese, Punjabi and Simplified Chinese. The Small Business Checklist is a tool designed to highlight some of the key considerations that are needed to maintain a safe small business. We will be distributing the translated checklists throughout the week across Canberra. Safety alert: Failure to consult results in worker injury Activity: Small Business checklist distribution engagement Initiative Small business checklist download: |
| Week 3 13 - 19 | Built Safe In this week we will be addressing the high-risk activities present, and safety practices specific to the construction industry. WorkSafe ACT is hosting another construction industry breakfast as part of NSWM. As it was last year, the construction breakfast is the biggest of the year, with a greater number of tickets available to accommodate high demand. A video of the breakfast will be released on the WorkSafe ACT YouTube after the event if you are unable to attend. The breakfast also serves as the official launch of our newest resource, the Pocket Guide to Safety in Construction. The guide will soon also be available in Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, Vietnamese and Nepali. Resource: Pocket Guide to Safety in Construction Safety alert: Clear the air: Silica and asbestos Event: Construction Industry Breakfast Friday 17 October. |
| Week 4 20 - 26 | Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusion The week 4 focus will explore how inclusive practices contribute to safer, more supportive workplaces for all. This week we are releasing another episode of the WorkSafe ACT podcast, The Safety Spotlight. This episode focuses on the WHS considerations and support required by Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) workers. ACT WHS Commissioner Jaqui Agius was joined by Siti Mustaffa, an experienced mechanical engineers and member of the National Association of Women in Construction to chat about the real challenges CALD workers face and how we can all do better to support safety and inclusion. Listen now through the link below WorkSafe ACT is also releasing a new suite of multilanguage videos outlining the importance of workplace health and safety. We had previously released this message in our Auslan video, but now have recorded it in Korean, Nepali, Punjabi, Hindi, Dzongkha (Bhutan), Sinhala (Sri Lanka), Mandarin and Malay. Lastly, WorkSafe ACT will be holding a Safety Session, focusing on CALD workers, with several bilingual inspectors on hand to cover any WHS questions you may have, in-language. Resource: Translated Video Collage & Individual Translated Video release Resource: Translated Small Business Checklist Visit the translated guidance materials webpage here. Event: Safety Session with Inspectors (in language) Wednesday 22 October from 10am - 1pm, location Canberra City. |
| Week 5 27 - 31 | Safety Innovations Examining the role of emerging technologies in improving workplace safety and risk management. Lastly, as part of National Safe Work Month, WorkSafe ACT will be hosting a fundraising BBQ at Gungahlin Bunnings on Friday 31 October. This event is a great opportunity for the community to engage directly with WorkSafe Inspectors in a relaxed, one-on-one setting, over a classic bunnings sausage sizzle! All proceeds from the BBQ will go to the Multicultural Hub Canberra, a charity chosen to align with Week 4’s theme: Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility. Supporting this initiative reflects WorkSafe ACT’s commitment to giving back to the community and championing inclusive, safe workplaces for all. Event: Fundraising BBQ for the Multicultural Hub held at Gungahlin Bunnings Friday 31 October 2025 from 9am to 4pm. To contribute to WorkSafe ACT fundraising effort for the Multicultural Hub click here. |
Throughout the month, we will also be supporting and fundraising for the Multicultural Hub Canberra, a local not-for-profit organisation providing settlement, employment and social program support to migrants in our community. We have entered this partnership as part of our commitment to supporting CALD workers in the Territory, and to ensure that all workers are informed of their rights and responsibilities in the workplace. You can find out more about this commitment at our Safety Session, or our Bunnings BBQ fundraiser.
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