The NSW Government will continue to push for the highest possible safety standards in the workplace, with two key ministers making the pledge ahead of a ceremony to remember people who lost their lives in work-related accidents.
Treasurer and Minister for Industrial Relations Dominic Perrottet said while there had been a 28 per cent reduction in work-related fatalities in NSW over the past 10 years, this number provided little solace for families who had lost a loved one.
“Today is the International Day of Mourning, it’s a time where people around the world pay tribute to those who have died through work related incidents,” Mr Perrottet said.
“While we have seen a drop in work related deaths over the past decade we know there are still too many people who die or who are seriously injured in the workplace.
“There are too many families, friends and colleagues left to deal with the aftermath. Reducing both deaths and injuries is a key priority for the NSW Government.”
Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean will speak at a ceremony to mark the International Day of Mourning at Reflection Park in Darling Harbour today at 11.45am. A ceremony will also be held at Ourimbah on the Central Coast.
Families will have the opportunity to honour their loved ones by attaching dedications on memory cards and flowers to the Memory Lines sculpture in Sydney.
Mr Kean said the International Day of Mourning offers everyone in NSW the opportunity to remember loved ones and to think about making workplaces safer.
“In 2007 there were 86 work related fatalities in NSW. Last year there were 62. I'm glad to see a decline over the years, but there’s more work to be done. My goal is that every worker who leaves in the morning returns home safely to their families at night.”
SafeWork NSW’s Work Health and Safety Roadmap for NSW 2022 puts the spotlight on high-risk industries including transport, agriculture, construction and manufacturing along with quad bikes, falls from heights and forklifts.
For information on health and safety at work visit www.safework.nsw.gov.au
