The latest detailed national statistics on all workers and bystanders fatally injured at work have been released by Safe Work Australia.
The Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities Australia 2019 shows that over the last decade the number and rate of work-related fatalities have been gradually decreasing.
In 2007, the fatality rate was 3.0 fatalities per 100,000 workers. In 2019, this rate had decreased by 53 per cent to 1.4 fatalities per 100,000 workers.
The report said that the number of work-related fatalities recorded in 2018 represented an unusual decrease compared to the longer-term trends in fatality numbers.
“While the number of work-related fatalities has been steadily decreasing over the last decade, any workplace death is tragic and unacceptable. Understanding the causes of injury and the industries most affected can help reduce work-related fatalities,” it said.
It said that in 2019 62 per cent of worker fatalities occurred in the following industries: Transport, postal and warehousing (58 fatalities); agriculture, forestry and fishing (30) and construction (26 fatalities)
The most common causes of worker fatalities in 2019 were: Vehicle collisions (43 per cent); falls from a height (11 per cent) and hit by falling objects (11 per cent).
Safe Work Australia said the report and the data it contained was drawn from a range of sources, including reporting of fatalities in the media, notifications from jurisdictional authorities, and the National Coronial Information System.
“This report complements and provides additional detail to the Key Work Health and Safety Statistics published on 12 October,” the Agency said.
