Safe Work Australia has published an updated list of work-related fatalities in 2020.
The Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities Australia 2020 Report provides the latest detailed national statistics on all workers and bystanders fatally injured at work.
In a statement, Safe Work Australia said while the rate of work-related fatalities had decreased 25 per cent over the past decade and 50 per cent since 2007, any workplace death was unacceptable.
“Tragically, 194 people were fatally injured at work in 2020,” it said.
“Understanding the causes of injury and the industries most affected can help reduce work-related fatalities.”
The Agency said its Report detailed that more than two-thirds of worker fatalities occurred in a small number of industries, including transport, postal and warehousing (49 fatalities); agriculture, forestry and fishing (46 fatalities); and construction (36 fatalities).
It said the most common causes of worker fatalities were collisions with vehicles (41 per cent); being hit by moving objects (13 per cent); and falls from a height (11 per cent.)
“This Report complements and provides additional detail to the Key Work Health and Safety Statistics published on 25 October,” the Agency said.
“These statistics should be considered in the broader context of the COVID-19 pandemic when comparing data over previous periods.”
Safe Work Australia said the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this data was explored in its COVID-19 and Safe Work Australia Data Report.
Safe Work Australia’s 38-page Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities Australia 2020 Report can be accessed at this PS News link and its five-page Data Report at this link.