World Day for Safety and Health at Work - 28th April

World Day for Safety and Health at Work (28 April) is a global reminder that every worker deserves to come home safe and well, every day. Led by the International Labour Organization, the day promotes the prevention of work related injuries, illness, and deaths, and encourages safer systems across all industries.

In Australia, it is commonly observed alongside Workers’ Memorial Day on the same date. It is a time to honour workers who have been killed or injured at work, and to recommit to practical steps that prevent the next tragedy.

Safe Work Australia regularly uses this date to spotlight prevention and share resources that workplaces can use straight away. Their messaging is backed by confronting national data on fatal workplace injuries, which reinforces why prevention is not optional, it is essential.

What “safety and health at work” Really Means

It is not just hard hats and high vis. It includes:

• Safe systems of work and clear procedures
• Identifying hazards before they harm someone
• Consulting with workers so risks are spotted early
• Designing work to reduce physical and psychological harm

How Workplaces Can Mark 28 April In A meaningful Way

• Hold a short safety conversation at the start of the day, focusing on the highest risk tasks happening this week.
• Do a quick hazard walk through of the site, office, warehouse, or store, and log fixes with an owner and due date.
• Ask workers what is getting in the way of safe work, then act on the top two issues raised. Consultation is a legal requirement under the model WHS laws, and it improves outcomes.
• Share or display campaign materials such as posters or backgrounds to keep safety visible and normalised.
• Pause to remember, especially if your workplace has been impacted by a serious incident, and reinforce that prevention is everyone’s responsibility.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work is not about a one day gesture. It is about building a culture where raising a risk is respected, fixing hazards is routine, and safety is treated as part of quality work, not an extra task.