"I'll see you soon mate, goodbye."
Those were the last words Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) Newcastle lead organiser Brad Pidgeon ever heard from his friend Tim - expecting to catch up with him for a beer in two days' time.
Sadly, that wouldn't be the case. On his return home he received a call with devastating news, Tim had been killed at a work site in Sydney.
"He was exposed to unsafe working conditions to which unions tried to fix but were denied access to fix," Mr Pidgeon said at the International Workers Memorial Day event on Friday, commemorating the lives lost and injuries sustained at work.
"Tim is one of many workers that don't return home to their loved ones."
He said that up to 170 Australians are killed at work each year, with a further 2000 condemned to die from industrial diseases caused by exposure.
Each of those 170 lives lost represent a family devastated by tragedy, he said.
"When you think about a workplace tragedy I rarely ever use the word 'accident' because I believe nearly everything is preventable, with a little more effort and a little more thought we can actually change what will happen in the future," he said.
"Sometimes we feel we should talk about deaths in the work place as heroism ... I'm pained to say that many workplace deaths have a pointlessness to them, a sudden arbitrary twist of fate which is the real story."
The memorial is a day to remember and honour workers who lost their lives, were injured or fell ill due to work-related accidents or hazards.
Families, friends and colleagues of lost loved ones joined together at a memorial plaque at Newcastle Foreshore on Friday to pay their respects.
According to the Hunter Workers union, 36 Australians have lost their lives at work this year - with the latest Safe Work Australia figures showing 160 workers lost their lives in 2022.
Hunter Workers are pushing for a review of the workers' compensation system in NSW, arguing it has left workers struggling for money, stressed and with poor mental health.
The day is a reminder that workplace safety isn't a privilege, but a right that all workers deserve, Hunter Workers secretary Leigh Shears said.
"We must do better to protect our workers and ensure that every worker returns home safely at the end of the day," he said.
"Workplace fatalities and injuries have devastating consequences for workers and their families, and we cannot afford to be complacent in our efforts to prevent them."
According to Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis, Australia's deadliest industries are transport, warehousing, agriculture, and construction.
Three workplace deaths have been reported in the past nine days alone. On Wednesday a worker employed on the Snowy 2.0 was tragically killed when the truck they were driving rolled on the Snowy Mountains Highway.
Ms Cotsis expressed her deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of those who have lost a loved one.
"We owe it to them to better protect vulnerable NSW workers," she said.
"Every day our loved ones head off to work and we expect them to come home at the end of a shift.
"On this day we reaffirm our commitment to improving workplace health and safety, from modernising the gig economy to reducing falls from heights."
Safety standards and compliance are regulated by Safe Work NSW.
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