While Australia has seen significant improvements in workplace safety over the years, the rise in fatalities highlights the ongoing risks and the need for continued vigilance. This annual publication provides crucial insights into work-related fatalities, injuries, and diseases, emphasising that despite advancements in safety measures, the impact of workplace incidents on individuals, families, and the economy remains profound.

As we delve deeper into the statistics, it becomes evident that while progress has been made, much work lies ahead to ensure the safety and well-being of all Australian workers.

Australia’s current work-related injury rate of 3.5% – the proportion of people who experienced a work-related injury or illness in the previous 12 months – is roughly one-third the global rate of 12.1%.

The report found that 76% of work-related traumatic injury fatalities and 61% of serious workers’ compensation claims occurred in just 6 industries: agriculture, forestry and fishing; public administration and safety; transport, postal and warehousing; manufacturing; health care and social assistance, and construction.

Vehicle incidents continue to account for the largest proportion of worker fatalities (42%; 84 fatalities). Falls from a height was the second highest contributor to worker fatalities, with a concerning increase of 71% since 2022, from 17 to 29 fatalities.

The report also found that claims for mental health conditions continued to increase in 2023, now accounting for 10.5% of all serious claims. The median time lost from work in these cases is more than 5 times longer than that recorded across all injuries and diseases.

Work-related injury fatalities 2023

• Tragically, in 2023, 200 people were fatally injured at work in Australia.
• The traumatic injury fatality rate for workers in Australia has decreased by 19% since 2013.
• While the number of fatalities was 5% higher than the 5-year average of 191 workers per year (between 2019 to 2023), the fatality rate was consistent with the 5-year average (1.4 fatalities per 100,000 workers).
• 95% of worker fatalities were male.
• Vehicle incidents continue to account for the largest proportion of worker fatalities (42%) Machinery operators and drivers had the highest number of fatalities by occupation (73 fatalities).
• The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry had the highest worker fatality rate (9.2 per 100,000).

Work-related injury and illness 2023

• There were 139,000 serious workers’ compensation claims in Australia in 2022-23p.
• The median time lost from work-related injuries and illnesses has been increasing over the past 10 years, with 21.3% of accepted claims involving 13 weeks or more off work in 2021-22.
• Body stressing injuries were the leading cause of serious workers’ compensation claims (32.7%), followed by falls, slips and trips of a person; being hit by moving objects, and mental stress.
• Mental health conditions accounted for 10.5% or 14,600 claims in 2022-23p. This is a 19.2% increase on 2021-22, and a 97.3% increase compared with 10 years ago.
• Workers aged 25-44 had the lowest serious claims frequency rate, at 5.6 serious claims per million hours worked.

Source: Safe Work Australia, 17 September 2024

The Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023-2033 addresses ongoing and emerging challenges in work health and safety over the next decade, including managing psychosocial risks, the rise of artificial intelligence, automation and related technologies, and new types of work including gig work.

Safe Work Australia Chief Executive Officer, Michelle Baxter said “while data shows that fatal and serious injuries at work have declined over the last decade, Australian workers are still getting sick and injured, sometimes fatally, from work.

“Through this Strategy we are focusing our efforts to ensure the work health and safety system in Australia can improve outcomes and address emerging challenges over the next decade.”

Vehicle incidents, being hit by moving objects and falls from a height account for the most fatalities, while body-stressing, falls, slips and trips, and being hit by moving objects are the cause of most workplace injuries.

According to the latest data, 70% of fatalities and 61% of serious workers’ compensation claims occur in six industries:

• agriculture
• construction
• transport
• manufacturing
• healthcare and social assistance, and
• public administration and safety.

Source: SafeWork Australia, 23 February 2023