A mere six sectors accounted for a staggering 80% of workplace fatalities last year.
The regulatory body highlighted that the majority of these tragic incidents were concentrated in six specific industries: agriculture, forestry, and fishing; public administration and safety; transport, postal, and warehousing; manufacturing; health care and social assistance; and the construction sector.
According to the report, vehicle-related accidents were the predominant cause of workplace deaths, responsible for 42% or 79 fatalities. This was followed by fatalities due to falls from heights, which accounted for 13% or 24 deaths.
While Australia’s workplace safety standards generally fare well on the global stage, boasting an injury rate of 3.5% compared to the worldwide rate of 12.1%, Safe Work Australia emphasizes that the repercussions remain significant.
In the fiscal year 2023–24, there were 146,700 serious workers’ compensation claims involving at least a week of lost work time, translating to over 400 significant claims daily.
Mental health-related claims are on the rise, now making up 12% of all serious claims, marking a 14.7% increase from the previous year.
The median time lost from work in these claims is almost five times that recorded across all other injuries and diseases.
“Our data show there is still more to be done to ensure every worker, regardless of occupation or industry, returns home safely at the end of the day,” Safe Work Australia chief executive Marie Boland said.
“Behind every statistic is a person, a family, workmates, a community and a story.”
