Christmas season increases the risk of workplace deaths

With the lead-up to Christmas being a dangerous time for workers, WorkSafe Victoria is urging both workers and their employers to be more mindful of safety.

According to WorkSafe statistics, more Victorian workers die in the weeks leading up to Christmas than at any other time of year.

Over the past decade, almost 25% of all workplace fatalities occurred in November and December.

WorkSafe Executive Director Health and Safety Marnie Williams said there was only one fatality in the November–December period last year, but in previous years the death toll had been horrendous.

"While there was only one fatality in this period last year, in 2015 there were nine workplace deaths, and the year before that there were seven," she said.

"One death is still one too many. It is horrifying to think that over the past decade 50 workers have died in the lead-up to Christmas."

Williams said there were a number of reasons why this period was a dangerous time of year for workers.

"With Christmas just around the corner, we know many employers and employees are rushing to meet deadlines and complete projects," she said.

"In agriculture, the grain and hay harvests are in full swing, the construction sector is hard at work as builders, contractors and tradies push to complete projects before the Christmas shutdown and the manufacturing sector is busy finalising last-minute orders.

"We also know that many people are eagerly looking forward to their upcoming holidays and Christmas celebrations, so maybe they are getting distracted from the tasks at hand.

"That is why it is so important for everyone to put safety first, to take care and stay safe at work."

Recently, a young worker died and two other young workers have been seriously injured in workplace incidents.

A gardener in his late 20s died when he was stung by bees at a property in Dunkeld. In addition, a 22-year-old man was injured when he fell almost three metres from an unprotected balcony onto a concrete floor at Altona and a 21-year-old man suffered serious head injuries when he fell three metres down an unprotected open stair void at Edithvale.

Williams said it was important that employers and employees took the time to think about what needed to be done, and how it could be done as safely as possible.

"For employers, this may mean factoring in a little extra time to do the job, or paying for extra resources and staff to get the job done safely," she said.

"For workers, it may mean spending a little more time assessing each task before starting. The cost of rushing or taking shortcuts could be someone's life."

A WorkSafe public awareness campaign will begin shortly to raise awareness of the dangers associated with working at this time of year.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/EllenMoran