'Stanley the cone' targets three common workplace hazards

Between April and December 2026, SafeWork SA’s Stanley the cone campaign will provide advice across three common workplace hazards — falls from height, roll-away vehicles and spills. These hazards have been identified using SafeWork SA and ReturnToWorkSA data and aligned to national strategic WHS priorities.

Concerning falls, SafeWork SA received 300 notifications of a workplace incident involving a serious fall, with 12 fatalities and a further 288 people who were seriously injured during this period. The riskiest industry remained the construction sector, followed by transport, manufacturing and agriculture.

SafeWork SA received 196 slip and trip notifications during the same period, with many associated with spills — accounting for five fatalities and 191 seriously injured. Meanwhile, there were 42 roll-away vehicle incidents reported to SafeWork SA over the past four years; four people died and 17 were seriously injured while 13 incidents involved significant property damage.

SafeWork SA’s ongoing compliance and education activities across a range of industries will be supported by the campaign — the regulator visiting more than 7700 worksites and issuing almost 5240 statutory notices in 2024–25. For breaches to WHS laws, there were a total of 18 convictions — the highest in 10 years — with record fines totalling $2.37 million.

SafeWork SA’s Stanley the cone campaign — its three common workplace hazards. Credit: SafeWork SA

“By using a traffic cone — a universally recognised symbol of safety — we’re hoping to share workplace safety messages in a way that is novel, engaging and memorable,” SafeWork SA Executive Director Glenn Farrell said. “Stanley the cone might be a bit gruff but he’s an expert on safety in the workplace and is a vital member of the SafeWork SA team.

“Through this statewide campaign, we’re giving people clear, practical safety information to prevent incidents from occurring as well as encouraging people to contact SafeWork SA for expert advice and support.”

Image credit: SafeWork SA