Gallagher Bassett has launched the third year of its National Safe Work Month campaign. It is using insights from more than 30,000 personal injury claims it managed in 2025 to urge employers to put prevention, recovery and safe return to work at the centre of workplace safety discussions.
The 2026 campaign features an interstate truck driver affected physically and psychologically by a collision. It also features a worker supported through serious worksite injuries by her Gallagher Bassett Claims Manager.
Debbie Vounakis (pictured), Gallagher Bassett’s head of sales and client services – personal injury, said the campaign highlights the scale and human impact of the claims its personal injury teams manage each day. She said the 2026 theme, “Safe work is for life,” reflects that every claim involves an individual, a workplace and a recovery story that can extend well beyond the job.
Gallagher Bassett said its 2025 data shows the leading causes of physical injury continued to trend upward. Workers were most commonly injured by moving objects, falls, trips and slips, and body stressing. Vounakis said that gives employers “a clear place to focus prevention efforts.” She added that identifying and addressing hazards early remains one of the most effective ways to reduce harm. The release did not give claim counts or percentages for these causes.
The categories mirror national data. Safe Work Australia’s 2025 statistics show body stressing accounted for 34.5% of the 146,700 serious claims in 2023–24, meaning claims with a week or more off work. Falls, slips and trips made up 21.8%, and being hit by moving objects 16.0%. Mental stress accounted for 11.5%.
Safe Work Australia’s latest data, published this week, shows 222 workers died from traumatic injuries in 2025. That is the highest annual toll since 2012, against a five-year average of 197. Vehicle incidents accounted for 41% of deaths.
The same release recorded 147,200 serious claims in 2024–25. Mental health conditions made up 12% of them, up 169% over the decade. Six industries accounted for 74% of fatalities and 61% of serious claims. Agency chief executive Marie Boland said “preventable harm is not inevitable.”
Safe Work Australia says this year’s theme reflects the long-term impact of workplace harm on workers, families, businesses and communities.
Psychological injury is where cost pressure is sharpest. In NSW, psychological claims made up 12% of workers’ compensation claims but 38% of the cost. The average cost of such a claim rose from $146,000 in 2019–20 to $288,542 in 2024–25, according to the state’s reform materials. Most changes to eligibility and claims processes took effect on 1 July 2026. The NSW government said premiums for employers without claims were on track to rise at least 36% over three years without reform.
Time off work is also longer. Median time lost for mental health claims is almost five times the all-injury median, according to Safe Work Australia data.
Employers’ duties extend beyond claims. NSW inspectors can now rely more directly on psychosocial hazard breaches without waiting for a worker to be injured. That means renewal conversations may need to cover statutory liability, WHS prosecution defence costs and employment practices liability, not just workers’ compensation premiums.
Gallagher Bassett said that when injuries occur, its role is to help workers and employers navigate the claims, recovery and return-to-work process. That includes recognising physical and psychological impacts, keeping workers connected to work where possible and supporting a safe, sustainable return. The campaign encourages employers to review their approach to workplace safety.
