In the early 1900s, Australia’s workplace health and safety laws were nonexistent. In some cases, workers were even required to work in unsafe conditions.
Today, Australia has a multitude of laws that govern the safety of employees in the workplace. These laws have been developed to ensure that workers are safe and that companies are also held accountable for their employees’ welfare.
In addition to being more aware of their rights at work and more likely to report violations of those rights, employees today are also more likely than ever to take advantage of these laws to protect themselves from harm in their own jobs.
The workplace of today is vastly different than what it was just a few decades ago. In the past, workers were more likely to be injured on the job than they are today.
In fact, fewer than one in five workers reported being hurt on the job in 2016—a record low! Workers have access to more safety equipment and work practices than ever before, so it’s no surprise that the number of injuries has dropped over time. Factors that have contributed to this decline include:
- awareness campaigns;
- improved safety equipment and technology; and
- changes in social norms regarding working conditions.
The infographic below shows how Australia’s workplace health and safety has changed over time, based on the data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
