Workplace Deaths Hit Highest Level Since 2012: Key WHS Statistics 2026
WHS News · National Data
222 Australian workers were killed at work in 2025, the highest annual toll since 2012. Safe Work Australia’s latest national report shows most of these deaths came from well-known hazards that can and must be better controlled.
Key takeaways
- 222 worker deaths in 2025, above the five-year average of 197.
- Vehicle incidents caused 41% of deaths, followed by falls from height and falling objects.
- 147,200 serious claims in 2024–25, more than 400 every day.
- Serious mental health claims are up 169% over the past decade.
- Workers in very remote areas are around 8 times more likely to be killed at work.
222
workers killed by traumatic injuries at work in 2025
41%
of worker deaths involved a vehicle incident
147,200
serious workers’ compensation claims in 2024–25
The highest toll since 2012
Safe Work Australia’s Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2026, released on 12 October, paints a confronting picture. In 2025, 222 workers lost their lives due to traumatic injuries at work, the highest number since 2012 and well above the five-year average of 197.
The fatality rate rose to 1.5 deaths per 100,000 workers, above the 2021–2025 average of 1.4. Over the longer term the rate has fallen 15% since 2015, but it has stalled in recent years. Men accounted for 93% of deaths, and workers aged 65 and over had the highest fatality rate, more than three times the national average.
The data is confronting, but it also tells us where action is needed. Workers are still being killed and seriously injured by hazards we understand and know how to control.
Marie Boland, CEO, Safe Work Australia
How workers are being killed
Almost two-thirds of all worker deaths in 2025 came from just three causes:
| Cause of death | Workers killed | Share of deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle incidents | 92 | 41% |
| Falls from a height | 28 | 13% |
| Being hit by falling objects | 21 | 9% |
Falls from height have now been the second most common cause for three years in a row, and deaths from falling objects have climbed from 12 in 2023 to 21 in 2025. Both are closely linked to construction, which recorded 41 deaths, almost one in five nationally. Safe Work Australia notes this has coincided with high construction activity and ongoing labour shortages across many trades.
The industries carrying the heaviest burden
Three industries accounted for almost two-thirds (63%) of worker deaths:
| Industry | Worker deaths | Deaths per 100,000 workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transport, postal and warehousing | 61 | 8.3 |
| Construction | 41 | 3.0 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 38 | 13.0 |
By occupation, machinery operators and drivers made up 35% of deaths and had a fatality rate almost six times the national average. Location matters too: fatality rates rise with every step away from the major cities, and workers in very remote Australia are around eight times more likely to die from a work-related injury than the national average.
Serious injuries and the rise in mental health claims
There were 147,200 serious workers’ compensation claims in 2024–25, each involving at least a week off work. That is more than 400 a day, and 38% more than a decade ago. Four causes accounted for 85% of serious claims: body stressing, falls, slips and trips, being hit by moving objects, and mental stress.
Mental health conditions made up 12% of serious claims, but they have grown more than any other type, up 169% over ten years. They are also among the most costly. The median claim involves almost 35 weeks off work and about $68,600 in compensation, compared with about 7 weeks and $16,100 for other serious claims. Work-related harassment and bullying, work pressure, and exposure to violence were the leading causes of mental stress claims.
The impact lasts. Research in the report shows that workers who take a month or more off after an injury experience declines in general and mental health that are still evident five years later.
A push for national action
Safe Work Australia says current efforts are not delivering the improvement we should expect. Through the Best Practice Review of the model WHS laws, it has recommended practical measures to WHS ministers to strengthen national consistency in compliance and enforcement. These include dedicated advisory groups bringing together regulators, employers and unions to focus on compliance, enforcement and reducing work-related deaths, and to share lessons from serious incidents faster.
Improvement will not come from doing more of the same. We must learn from every serious incident, share those lessons quickly and ensure proven controls are applied in every workplace where the same risks exist.
Marie Boland, CEO, Safe Work Australia
What this means for your workplace
- Get serious about vehicle and mobile plant safety. Separate people from vehicles, manage fatigue and journey risk, and maintain plant properly.
- Control work at height and falling objects. Use edge protection, void covers, scaffolding and exclusion zones, and plan high-risk construction work before it starts.
- Don’t overlook body stressing and slips. Together they drive more than half of all serious claims.
- Treat psychosocial hazards as a priority. Address bullying, harassment, work pressure and occupational violence as seriously as physical risks.
- Support older, remote and inexperienced workers. They face higher risk and need tailored controls, supervision and emergency planning.
- Learn from incidents and near misses. Investigate, share the lessons and check your controls are actually working.
Source: © Commonwealth of Australia. Adapted from Safe Work Australia, New work health and safety data demands stronger action to prevent harm (12 October 2026) and Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2026, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Featured photo: Josue Isai Ramos Figueroa on Unsplash.
Turn the data into action
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