Safe Work Australia has published a new report providing a snapshot of COVID-19 related workers’ compensation claims for 2020.
Safe Work said the data in its snapshot was fast-tracked to provide timely information on the impacts of COVID-19 for Australian workers.
“The Report uses preliminary data from Commonwealth, State and Territory workers’ compensation authorities and details COVID-19 related workers’ compensation claims by type, industry, occupation and jurisdiction,” Safe Work said.
“Please note, this Report replaces the COVID-19 related workers’ compensation claims to 31 July 2020 report published in November 2020,” it said.
“The scope of data is different, and for this reason the two reports are not comparable.”
Safe Work said that its snapshot COVID-19 related workers’ compensation claims showed that at 31 December 1,222 COVID-19 related workers compensation claims had been lodged; 974 claims were accepted, 127 claims were rejected and 121 claims were pending.
It showed that 75 per cent of accepted and pending claims were for workers who had contracted COVID-19 and 69 per cent of accepted and pending claims were from the healthcare and social assistance industry.
Safe Work said the ‘community and personal services workers’ occupation had the highest number of claims with Victoria the highest number of accepted and pending claims by jurisdiction.
Safe Work’s four-page snapshot can be accessed at this PS News link.
