Introduction

Worldwide there are an estimated 2.78 million work-related deaths per year (ILO, 2023), with work-related injury and disease impacting on many more surviving workers.  The monetary and emotional cost to families, organisations and societies means quality work health and safety management has impact nationally, regionally and internationally.  When implemented effectively, workplace health and safety reduces loss of life and injury in organisations worldwide.

An Australian and New Zealand Human Resource Management Guide to Work Health and Safety is designed to:

• Outline the historical and philosophical evolution of the work health and safety theories, principles and approaches used today.
• Delineate Human Resource Managers’ work health and safety responsibilities.
• Empower Human Resource Managers to lead work health and safety by providing examples from actual workplace settings.