Wednesday April 28 is World Day for Safety and Health at Work and Workers' Memorial Day. 

The day is aimed at raising awareness of work-related occupational diseases, deaths, injuries, and illnesses, and how to prevent them. 

It is also a day to remember those that have died from a work-related injury or illness. 

While the number of work-related fatalities in Australia has been steadily decreasing over the last decade, in 2019, 183 workers were fatally injured at work. 

“By raising awareness of work health and safety (WHS) issues and taking action to eliminate or minimise health and safety risks at work, we can help prevent further work-related fatalities and injuries,” Safe Work Australia says. 

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work theme for 2021 as set by the International Labour Organization is ‘Anticipate, prepare and respond to crises and invest now in resilient OHS systems’. 

The theme acknowledges the impact that the global COVID-19 pandemic has had on working lives and the importance of building an effective, resilient, and adaptable WHS framework.

The 2021 World Day for Safety and Health at Work and Workers’ Memorial Day webpage for Safe Work Australia is accessible here.