SafeWork NSW has released its 2026–27 Regulatory Statement, sending a clear message to NSW businesses: regulators are expecting measurable improvements in workplace safety, especially in the areas linked to the most serious injuries and fatalities.
For agriculture, farming, livestock, and equine workplaces, where work is physical, conditions change quickly, and contractors and seasonal staff are common, this matters. The statement reinforces a risk-based approach, stronger expectations around consultation with workers, and a sharper focus on compliance with WHS Codes of Practice.
Below is what the priority areas mean in practical terms for farms, studs, yards, stables, and rural operations, and what to review now to stay ahead.
Key Priority Areas for 2026–27 (and what they look like on the land).
SafeWork NSW has identified four priority areas for the coming year. These priorities reflect where the most serious harm is occurring, and where the regulator will focus attention and resources.
Falls from heights
Falls remain a leading cause of serious injury and death. In rural and equine settings, “working at height” often happens during everyday tasks, including:
– Accessing or working on sheds, roofs, or hay storage areas
– Climbing onto vehicles, trays, trailers, and truck decks
– Using ladders for maintenance, lighting, gutters, or repairs
– Working around raised surfaces (ramps, loading areas, platforms)
Practical takeaway: Falls are not only a “construction” issue. If a task involves a person leaving ground level, it should be treated as a planned activity with the right equipment, supervision, and safe method.
Psychosocial risks (bullying, harassment, unsafe work practices)
SafeWork NSW has flagged psychosocial risks as a priority, including bullying, harassment, and unsafe work practices. In agriculture and equine work, psychosocial hazards can be harder to spot because teams are small, work can be isolated, and long hours may be seen as “just part of the job”.
Examples that can raise psychosocial risk include:
– Poorly managed conflict between staff or between staff and supervisors
– Harassment or bullying in shared accommodation, during travel, or in close-knit teams
– Unclear expectations, inconsistent supervision, or “toughening up” culture
– High-pressure periods (foaling, harvest, mustering, racing/stud schedules) without adequate support
Practical takeaway: Psychosocial safety is part of WHS. It requires the same approach as physical hazards—identify risks, consult workers, implement controls, and review whether controls are working.
Hazardous substances
Hazardous substances are also a priority because they can cause significant health harm. In rural operations, these substances may be present in many forms, such as:
– Agricultural chemicals and other farm-use products
– Cleaning agents and disinfectants used in stables, yards, and amenities
– Substances used for maintenance and repairs (e.g., fuels, oils, solvents)
Practical takeaway: The key risk is often cumulative exposure (breathing, skin contact, mixing/handling) and inconsistent storage/handling practices—especially when work is busy or multiple people share stores and equipment.
Mobile plant, vehicles, and fixed machinery
SafeWork NSW has identified mobile plant, vehicles, and fixed machinery as a priority area because these are frequently involved in workplace fatalities.
In agriculture and equine workplaces, this can include:
– Mobile plant and vehicles operating around people in tight areas (yards, laneways, sheds)
– Fixed machinery used for processing, pumping, feeding, maintenance, or workshop tasks
– Busy environments with mixed traffic (utilities, contractors, deliveries, workers on foot)
Practical takeaway: The highest-risk situations often involve interaction between people and moving machinery—particularly when there are blind spots, reversing, poor traffic separation, or informal “rules” rather than clear procedures.
What SafeWork NSW’s approach means in practice
The statement signals a strengthened risk-based approach, with SafeWork NSW directing resources towards harms with the greatest potential impact. It also emphasises:
– Early intervention to prevent deaths and permanent disability
– Targeting higher-risk worker groups such as young workers, migrant workers, and people in insecure employment
– A continued focus on worker consultation about safety risks
– Stronger expectations around compliance, supported by reforms that will make WHS Codes of Practice legally enforceable (as identified in the statement)
SafeWork NSW is also consulting on Digital Work Systems Guidelines to extend protections to workers in digitally managed industries. While the source material does not define “digital work systems” in detail, rural businesses increasingly use apps and digital platforms for rosters, task allocation, performance tracking, and contractor management, so this is worth watching if digital systems influence how work is organised or paced.
Finally, the statement points to increased transparency through new reporting requirements under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. The practical message for businesses is that safety management should be clear, defensible, and documented.
What This Means for Employers & Workers
The regulator’s direction is clear: businesses should be able to show not just that they have policies, but that controls are working and improving outcomes.
For employers, managers, and supervisors
Consider reviewing and updating:
– Risk assessments for the four priority areas (heights, psychosocial hazards, substances, plant/machinery)
– Safe work procedures / SWMS for higher-risk tasks, ensuring they match what happens on-site
– Worker consultation processes, including how seasonal, young, migrant, and labour-hire workers are included
– Inductions and training, particularly around site-specific hazards (traffic rules, isolation, chemical handling, working at height)
– Incident and hazard reporting, so issues are captured early and corrective actions are tracked
– Supervision and competency checks, especially where work is variable and conditions change
A useful test is: if a serious incident happened tomorrow, could you show what hazards were identified, what controls were chosen, and how you checked those controls were effective?
For workers
Workers play a key role in identifying what’s really happening day to day. Practical actions include:
– Speak up early about hazards, near misses, fatigue, bullying/harassment, or unsafe work practices
– Follow agreed procedures and use the right equipment
– Participate in consultation (toolbox talks, pre-starts, reviews) so controls reflect real work
How Safe Industries Australia Can Help
Safe Industries Australia supports rural and equine businesses to strengthen WHS systems in a practical, site-based way. This may include WHS consulting, risk assessments, development or review of SWMS and procedures, and delivery of training and inductions tailored to farm, livestock, and equine environments helping businesses focus on the priority risks and demonstrate meaningful safety improvements.
SafeWork NSW’s 2026–27 Regulatory Statement reinforces a strong expectation that businesses will deliver measurable safety improvements, particularly for falls from heights, psychosocial risks, hazardous substances, and plant/vehicle/machinery hazards.
For agriculture and equine workplaces, the best time to act is before peak seasons and high-pressure periods. Proactive risk management, genuine worker consultation, and practical controls that are implemented and reviewed will put businesses in the strongest position to prevent serious harm and meet regulator expectations.
