The New South Wales Government has brought together construction industry leaders, unions and safety experts to discuss ways to improve workplace safety and reduce injuries across one of the state’s highest-risk industries.
The inaugural Construction Safety Roundtable, held in Parramatta, forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen safety outcomes in the construction sector, which employs around 400,000 people across New South Wales.
The roundtable brought together representatives from construction firms, industry associations, unions and community organisations to discuss safety performance, key risks and opportunities for collaborative improvement.
Recent compliance activities by SafeWork NSW have found most construction businesses are meeting their workplace health and safety obligations. However, regulators said some employers continue to expose workers to unnecessary risks through inadequate safety management systems.
Construction remains one of the most dangerous industries in New South Wales, with 13 workplace fatalities recorded since July 2025.
Falls from height continue to be the leading cause of traumatic fatalities in the state’s building and construction sector and remain a significant source of workplace injuries.
SafeWork NSW data shows the construction industry generated more requests for service and reported incidents than any other industry over the past year. Between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2025, there were 401 serious injuries resulting from falls from height across New South Wales.
The roundtable also examined growing concerns around psychosocial hazards in construction workplaces, with mental health-related claims continuing to increase across the sector.
The New South Wales Government established SafeWork NSW as a standalone regulator in 2025 and has expanded its inspectorate, including the appointment of specialised psychosocial inspectors and investigators.
New South Wales Minister for Industrial Relations and Work Health and Safety, Sophie Cotsis, said workplace fatalities in the construction sector remain a significant concern.
“Since July last year, there have been 13 lives lost in the construction industry alone in NSW – one life lost at work is one too many,” Cotsis said.
“This inaugural roundtable is an opportunity for the Government and SafeWork to hear from leaders in the industry, workers, unions and the families of construction workers who have tragically lost their lives about what we can do to improve safety in construction.
“We need the number of fatalities and the number of seriously injured workers in the construction industry to come down because everyone who goes to work deserves to come home safely to their families.”
SafeWork NSW Commissioner, Janet Schorer, said the sector continues to present significant workplace safety challenges.
“The construction sector is one of the most high-risk industries in NSW,” Schorer said.
“This roundtable is an opportunity to raise awareness of the common failings and harms SafeWork NSW has identified which are contributing to workers being placed at risk.
“I look forward to harnessing the collective knowledge and influence of attendees to contribute to the development of strategies and approaches which will drive industry-led safety improvements.”
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