SWA releases 2018–2019 workers compensation report

Safe Work Australia has released a report detailing workers compensation statistics from 2018–2019, which revealed that there were a total of 114,435 serious workers compensation claims during that time period. A trend analysis from 2008–2009 to 2017–2018 further revealed that the rate of serious claims per million hours worked fell by 26%, from 7.7 to 5.7 serious claims per million hours worked. The median time lost for a serious claim increased by 24%, from 5.0 to 6.2 working weeks, from 2008–2009 to 2017–2018.

Occupation and industry data revealed the three occupations with the highest rate of serious claims (per million hours worked) included labourers; community and personal service workers; and machinery operators and drivers. The three industries with the highest rate of serious claims (per million hours worked) were agriculture, forestry and fishing; manufacturing; and transport, postal and warehousing.

The most common injury type was traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injuries, comprising 39% of all serious claims, while wounds, lacerations, amputations, internal organ damage, and musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases made up 16% of all serious claims respectively.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/navee