Safe Work Australia has released its latest work health and safety statistics, showing a continued decline in worker fatalities.
The Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2019 report showed that in 2018, 144 people were fatally injured at work.
Chief Executive of Safe Work Australia, Michelle Baxter said the number and rate of worker fatalities continued to decline in line with long-term trends.
“While these trends are encouraging, they are not a cause for celebration,” Ms Baxter said.
“We know that work-related fatalities, injuries and disease have a devastating impact on workers and their families,” she said.
“Understanding the latest statistics can help identify ways to prevent these.”
She said that along with a reduction in fatalities, the rate of serious workers’ compensation claims had also dropped, with 107,335 claims made in the 2017-2018 period.
The report showed NSW had the highest rate of workplace deaths, with 47 fatalities in 2018, followed by Queensland with 39 and WA with 13.
The 16-page report can be accessed from this PS News link.
