Safe Work Australia - 2023 World Day for Safety and Health at Work and Workers

2023 World Day for Safety and Health at Work and Workers’ Memorial Day

Friday 28 April 2023 is World Day for Safety and Health at Work (World Day) and Workers' Memorial Day.

Our latest data shows that in 2021, 169 workers were fatally injured at work in Australia. Any fatality at work is unacceptable. World Day is a good time to recognise the importance of work health and safety to prevent any work-related fatalities and injuries.

This year’s theme for World Day is ‘A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work’.

Accompanying World Day, the International Trades Union Congress has set the theme for Workers' Memorial Day 2023 as ‘Remember the dead, fight for the living’.

Want to get involved?

We encourage everyone to recognise the importance of health and safety in the workplace by promoting World Day and Workers' Memorial Day on 28 April 2023.

Download our co-brandable resources to promote the day in your workplace: 

•  
• Desktop Wallpaper
• Video Call Background
• Social tile
• Post your awareness-raising content on social media along with our social tile LINK and the hashtags #WorldWHSDay2023 #SafeDay2023 #IWMD2023
• Attend a virtual Workers’ Memorial Day event
• Learn more about the importance of a safe and healthy workplace by exploring our resources or arranging a safety expert to speak in your workplace.

About this year’s theme

The theme set by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for this year's World Day explores the topic of a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work. This theme follows the June 2022 inclusion of “a safe and healthy working environment” in the ILO’s framework of fundamental principles and rights at work.

Good work design supports this right by fostering a safe and healthy physical and psychosocial environment for workers. PCBUs have a duty to consider good work design, which encompass four key considerations:

1. The work- including, how work is preformed, the task duration, frequency and complexity.
2. Your workers’ needs, preferences and capacities. 
3. The physical environment – including, the workplace itself, plant, equipment, materials and substances.
4. The systems and processes involved in the work - including, information technology, business management and human interaction.

See our Good Work Design web page to learn more.

Supporting information

• World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2023 – International Labour Organization
• Workers’ Memorial Day – International Trade Union Confederation
• Good work design SWA 
• Key work health and safety statistics Australia 2022
• International Trades Union Congress
• Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)

Further advice

Visit your regulator website for information and local activities for World Day for Safety and Health at Work and Workers' Memorial Day on 28 April 2023.