The Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all Defence workers, including military personnel, civilian employees, contractors and other persons.

Defence aims to ensure no person will suffer a serious preventable work related injury or illness while working for Defence. The protection of our people is paramount. At times we require Defence people to operate in environments of extreme risk and hazard due to the nature of military operations. However, at all times Defence will manage risk to ensure that all risks to the health and safety of our people are eliminated, or, where risks cannot be eliminated entirely, that they are managed and reduced so far as is reasonably practicable.

All Defence personnel share a responsibility for work health and safety, both physical and mental. The Defence Safety Manual (SafetyMan) provides the corporate policy framework that supports Defence to meet its legislative obligations under the Work Health Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011. Defence is striving to strengthen work health and safety performance through the implementation of the Defence Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2028.

Defence Safety Manual (SafetyMan)

SafetyMan is the primary source of work health and safety policy for Defence and is to be used in conjunction with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011. All Groups and Services must comply with SafetyMan policy and guidance.

This policy applies to all Defence workers including Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, Australian Public Service employees, ADF cadets and people involved in other Defence supported youth programs, contractors and other persons.

SafetyMan is in the process of being updated (as an internal Defence policy document). For undertaking Defence business, please reach out to relevant Defence contact to provide the PDF copies of SafetyMan.

Leadership, accountability and responsibility

All workers must take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and the safety of others in the workplace.

Defence personnel are expected to uphold and demonstrate the policies, standards and behaviours endorsed by Defence leadership.

Defence workers are responsible for supporting each other and senior leaders to meet all work health and safety responsibilities. Through the ownership of safety, this will ensure a safe work environment for everyone.

Defence has a Work Health and Safety Committee Structure that provides an opportunity to monitor and improve the health and safety of Defence workers, provide due diligence assurance to the Service Chiefs and Group Heads and enable consultation, cooperation and coordination on enterprise wide strategic issues that impact on enterprise work health and safety performance.