We all know that safety is important, but not all of us know how to make our workplace safer. That’s why we put together this article, to help you work out what you need to do to make it a priority in your workplace and set your measurable safety goals.  

Safety is an essential part of every workplace, so it is important that you are keeping you safety goals up to date. Some key things to remember when setting safety goals is to make them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based.) 

Read on to learn about creating a safer workplace and a list of handy links where you can find the safety rules relevant to each state.

How do you set SMART safety goals?

To create good saftey goals you need to consider past incidents, how could they have been avoided? Making SMART safety goals is an essential part of any safety program. Creating a safe environment for staff, contractors, the public, and anyone else who steps foot in a workplace is the responsibility of every business and company.

There are many different ways to making sure that your workplace meets safety requirements. In this article, we’ll cover everything from safety culture, to the critical elements of a safety management plan. We’ll explain the role that occupational health and safety plays in the workplace and tips on how to set your safety goals.

First you need to learn from your past. Look at the recorded incidents from the previous year, find areas that need improvement, and then set goals based on that. It’s important to involve others in the process, it encourages staff to take intitaitve to look after themselves as well as their colleagues’.

Getting your employees involved in the process is a great way to get another perspective from the boots on the ground as well.  It not only provides them with an opportunity to take ownership of their part of the safety culture but will also provide feedback on what makes a realistic or achievable goal.

What are the 5 stages of safety goal programs?

1. Worksite analysis and hazard identification

Knowing the hazards in your workplace is the first step to reducing risks and creating a safer workplace. Complete a worksite analysis or audit with people qualified to recognise both the existing hazards and any potential risks.

2. Management commitment and employee involvement

Everything flows from the top down. For a safety management program to work, management needs to commit to providing adequate resources for a safe work environment.  These include rostering enough staff and appropriate training and equipment. 

Management should also facilitate an environment for employees to get involved and be able to provide feedback or report potential hazards when they see them. You can also consider implementing a stop-work authority.  If an employee, regardless of their rank, believes a task is becoming too risky, they can call a stop.  This makes every employee an active part of ensuring a safe workplace.

3. Policies and procedures

Safety programs need to include plans, policies and procedures for safe practices and operations in your workplace. Keep them focused on the ways that the hazards and risks identified in the workplace can be removed or reduced using the hierarchy of controls. It’s also essential that all safety policies and procedures are communicated clearly to staff. 

4. Safety training

Everyone in the workplace needs to be trained in the safety management system.  This includes the operation of any machinery, the use of personal protective equipment and the conditions they’re used in. 

5. Performance tracking and improvement

Every safety management program requires an evaluation and review. Investigate all incidents that occur, including near-misses, to identify causes and what improvements can be made.  Keep records of all these incidents and look to identify any patterns that indicate a hazard or risk that still needs to be addressed.

What is safety culture and how does it relate to your safety goals?

Safety culture is the way the people within the workplace think and act towards being safe. It comes about when an organisation’s people value and respect their safety goals.  When people come together and commit to the policies and procedures designed to uphold the safety and wellbeing of themselves and others in the workplace, it creates a safer environment.  A safety culture comes about when the group shares the same values, attitudes, perceptions and patterns of behaviour. The overall result is a positive culture around safety within the workplace.

“A strong safety culture is built on open communication, where workers are encouraged to speak up about safety concerns without fear of repercussion, and their input is valued and acted upon.”

Marcus, Local Workforce Hire

This shared way of thinking and acting makes the workplace a lot safer for everyone. In a good safety culture, people talk openly about potential issues, learn from mistakes, and everyone feels responsible for keeping things safe. It’s like creating a team where everyone’s job is to look out for each other, making sure that getting hurt at work is less likely to happen. This team effort creates a positive vibe around staying safe at work, making the workplace not just safer but also a place where people care about and look after each other.

Why is safety culture important?

Employers are responsible for the health and wellbeing of staff and visitors to their workplaces and have a legal duty of care.  So, workplaces and organisations should always have safety management policies and procedures in place.  But just having rules isn’t enough, if people don’t value them, they will not follow them.

When it comes to workplace health and safety, complacency can have serious consequences, such as injury or death. If employees become complacent about safety procedures, others will follow suit. That’s why safety culture and saftey goals are so important.

People in groups tend to have a group mindset. Generally people prefer to go with the flow than stand out with different behaviour.  This can be great or difficult when it comes to setting up workplace culture. Depending on existing values within the group, getting to a positive safety culture may be harder in some workplaces than others. But with the right management and guidance, and getting employees to contribute their ideas, all workplaces can achieve this. It is vital that, from the management down, good practices are being set and encouraged.

Once set up, it is easy to maintain. Once your workplace has a safety culture, then your employees are more likely to adhere to your company’s safety policies and procedures even if it means a little more work to ensure that their activities are conducted safely. 

By creating a positive culture where your employees are mindful of the health and safety of themselves and others, you reduce the chances of accidents.  Any new employees are more likely to join in and follow the established workflows as well, making a strong safety culture self-sustaining.

What are the 5 elements of safety culture?

1. Leadership Involvement

Workplace culture starts at the top. It’s up to your managers and supervisors to set the standard for the rest of the employees. They must demonstrate and share clear safety goals that promote and encourage consistent, safety-conscious behavior among all employees involved. Employees take cues from supervisors—when leaders model safety and support positivity, staff engage more in workplace safety culture.

2. Shared Values

The goal is for all staff members, at every level, to share common values that support workplace safety culture. When attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors align with ensuring wellbeing, it creates an ideal environment for strong safety culture development.

3. Accountability

Both leadership and employees need to be kept accountable.  If your leadership becomes lax, it can have adverse effects on the workplace. 

The staff beneath them are likely to feel that either:

• the procedures they’ve had to follow aren’t really necessary, and become complacent themselves, or
• that their supervisor doesn’t care for their wellbeing, therefore affecting morale.

As well as demonstrating the correct attitudes and practices themselves, supervisors need to hold other individuals accountable.

It’s critical they avoid thinking it’s acceptable to ignore safety practices, even when production goals appear to be met. If someone doesn’t follow the safety procedures, it is important that they are held accountable.

4. Responsibility

A safe workplace isn’t just management’s responsibility; every staff member must actively contribute to building a strong safety culture. All employees should value safety and act responsibly to protect their own health and the wellbeing of those around them. Employers must provide PPE and training, but each employee is responsible for properly using it as they were instructed.

5. Constant Support

Safety goals and practices should be communicated clearly to everyone. Offer training and support, and encourage employees to give feedback if they believe tasks or procedures could be safer.

Safety Goals for Work

Setting safety goals at work helps create a healthy, secure environment that protects employees and improves operational efficiency overall. Including safety goals in your business plan builds a foundation for safety culture across every level of the organisation.

Embedding safety goals during strategic planning ensures workplace safety becomes integral, not an afterthought, in business operations and management. This approach allows businesses to tailor safety objectives to each division’s unique risks, making efforts relevant and highly effective. Division managers are responsible for implementing customised goals, building a unified yet adaptable strategy that addresses their team’s specific hazards. This ensures safety protocols are standardised company-wide but also adapted to improve protection in high-risk or task-specific danger areas. Setting safety goals during planning and cascading them through management creates engagement, reduces risks, and improves overall workplace productivity.

Safety Goals For Performance Reviews

Incorporating safety goals into performance reviews is a powerful strategy for setting clear expectations that shape an organisation’s culture. Defining measurable objectives aligned with core values helps leaders clearly communicate expectations for behaviour, performance, and team contributions. This approach empowers employees to set personal safety goals, interpreting what safety means within the scope of their role. This way, they’re more likely to really get behind these goals, since they helped make them.

This approach ensures that everyone is working towards the same targets, fostering a unified and motivated workforce. Furthermore, when leaders set goals emphasizing collaboration, improvement, and innovation, they foster a culture valuing teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving. These expectations guide employees each day and foster a culture where excellence, accountability, and mutual support define the organisation’s identity.

As employees work toward these goals, they actively help strengthen company culture, creating a more engaged, productive, and unified team. This process meets short-term goals while building a strong culture that drives long-term success and attracts loyal, high-performing talent.

Example of Safety Goals for Employees

Examples of safety goals for employees include a variety of measurable objectives focused on minimizing risk and maintaining a safe workplace. A common goal might involve completing required training or certifications within a set timeframe to improve awareness and hazard-handling skills. Employers can set goals for proper PPE use and maintenance to ensure equipment remains effective and employees stay protected.

Encouraging the reporting of near-misses and concerns without fear of reprisal is another critical goal, as it helps identify and mitigate risks before they lead to accidents. Finally, participating in safety meetings and contributing to discussions on improving practices can be a goal for employees, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collective responsibility for workplace safety. These goals not only aim to minimise the incidence of workplace injuries but also emphasise the importance of proactive measures and employee involvement in creating a safer work environment.

What are the goals of Occupational Health and Safety?

It’s the goal of Occupational Health and Safety to promote a safe and healthy work environment.  No workplace is free from risks, and workplace injuries can have serious consequences. These can range from mild to severe, including physical harm, illness, inability to work (temporary or permanent), mental health, emotional stress on family members, and in severe cases, death.

Occupational Health and Safety’s purpose is to protect anyone who steps foot into a workplace.  It aims to ensure employees’ health, safety and welfare at work, promoting a positive work environment.  It also protects visitors from the health and safety risks arising from work activities. Occupational Health and Safety standards even dictate the storage and use of explosive, highly flammable, or dangerous substances to reduce the associated risks. 

Although it can sometimes feel like a lot of red tape and rules to people who aren’t familiar with workplace injuries, and just how easily they can happen, it really is there for everyone’s benefit.  By implementing policies, procedures and safety management programs, you’re taking steps to carry out your legal duty of care to people in your workplace.

Occupational health and safety standards

Occupational health and safety standards are the standards set in place by Worksafe Australia to ensure the safety, health and welfare of people in all workplaces.  Referred to as a “model WHS (Workplace Health and Safety) Regulations”, they form part of the “model WHS laws”, and set out the detailed requirements to support the duties in the “model WHS Act.”

You can find a list of the government regulators for each state here, or read through our list below.

Australian Capital Territory

WorkSafe ACT is responsible for administering, enforcing and educating industry on all matters pertaining to the Worker’s Compensation Act 1951 and associated legislation.

New South Wales

SafeWork NSW is the state’s workplace health and safety regulator (with the exception of mines and petroleum sites). It focuses on harm prevention and improving the safety culture in NSW.

Queensland

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland ( WHSQ ) – Office of Industrial Relations is responsible for improving work health and safety in Queensland and helping reduce the risk of workers being killed or injured on the job.

Victoria

WorkSafe Victoria is the statutory authority responsible for promoting and enforcing health and safety in Victorian workplaces.

Tasmania

WorkSafe Tasmania’s primary role is to improve workplace safety, health and return to work. It administers the laws that regulate work health and safety, workers compensation, occupational licensing, asbestos compensation, dangerous goods, and more.

South Australia

SafeWork SA is responsible for providing work health and safety, public safety and state-based industrial relations services across South Australia

Western Australia

WorkSafe WA is the Western Australian Government agency responsible for the administration of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984.

Northern Territory

NT WorkSafe is the administrative and regulatory arm of the Northern Territory Work Health Authority and is responsible for the Territory-wide regulation of workplace health and safety.

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Insights from the Field

On construction and landscaping sites, safety doesn’t happen by accident — it’s the result of clear, measurable goals and consistent follow-through. The team at Local Workforce Hire sees the impact of strong safety practices daily. “We often find that when crews set specific safety goals — even simple ones like reducing manual handling incidents or increasing PPE compliance — the results follow quickly,” says one of their senior site coordinators. “The key is making those goals visible, realistic, and something every team member can act on.”

They recommend starting with a few high-impact targets, such as daily pre-start checks or incident-free milestones, and building from there. Involving workers in setting these goals also boosts buy-in and accountability. According to Local Workforce Hire, the most successful crews are the ones where safety isn’t just a checklist — it’s part of the team culture from day one.

For businesses using short-term or rotating labour, these kinds of goals become even more important. Clear safety expectations ensure new hires get up to speed quickly and maintain site standards, no matter how long they’re on the job.