A horror week of workplace fatalities and serious injuries has sparked an urgent safety warning to business owners and employers.
Five people died in the four days between January 29 and February 1 at workplaces across NSW, the state government confirmed.
The deaths included a 77-year-old man struck by a forklift at a Griffith factory, a 28-year-old man electrocuted while repairing an air conditioner in Engadine and a 51-year-old man who was thrown after he lost control of a side-by-side all-terrain vehicle on a cotton farm in Narromine.
On February 1, a truck driver was found unresponsive on the ground of a loading bay in Dubbo and SafeWork is also investigating a fatal motorbike incident on a property 120km east of Tibooburra which occurred on the same day.
A construction worker also sustained serious head injuries after falling four metres from a scaffold in Eastwood on January 27.
In 2022, there was approximately one workplace fatality a week.
Work Health and Safety Minister Sophie Cotsis sent her condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the past week.
"Following a well-deserved break, employees should feel they can come back to work and be safe," she said.
"Business owners must ensure their employees are always practising safe work practices and, as we head into February, these deaths serve as a tragic reminder to make sure workplaces are up to date with safety equipment and compliance."
Employers are required to ensure their workers, especially those involved in high-risk areas such as working at heights, electrical and moving plant and machinery, are properly trained and instructed on how to do their job safely.
Employees who have concerns about the health and safety of their workplace can anonymously contact SafeWork on 13 10 50 or through the Speak Up Save Lives app.
