As an industry we MUST ensure we push SAFETY as a #1 priority
The stats are in people and our industry falls behind every other sector in the country in safety. Read on -
Construction
The Construction industry employed
1.02 million people in 2010–11, representing 9% of the Australian
workforce. Within this industry, 73% of workers were classed as employees and
were covered by workers’ compensation. Employers in this industry paid 2.3% of
payroll in 2010–11 to cover their employees for workers’ compensation.
Fatalities
Over the three years from 2008–09 to
2010–11,
123 Construction workers died from work-related injuries. This number of deaths equates to 4.26 fatalities per 100 000 workers which is nearly twice the national fatalities rate of 2.23.
123 Construction workers died from work-related injuries. This number of deaths equates to 4.26 fatalities per 100 000 workers which is nearly twice the national fatalities rate of 2.23.
Falls from height accounted for 25% of fatalities (31 deaths) with ladders
involved in 11 deaths, buildings in 7 and scaffolding in 7.
Hit by falling
objects accounted for 15% of fatalities with a
range of building materials and equipment involved. Vehicle incident
also accounted for 15% of fatalities with cars involved in 11 of the 18 deaths.
Electrocutions resulted in 17 deaths (14% of fatalities) and Being hit by moving objects accounted for 12 deaths
(10%), 8 of which involved a truck.
Serious Claims
The preliminary data for 2010–11 show
13 640 claims for serious injury or illness. Over the three years from 2008–09 to 2010–11 the
Construction industry accounted for 11% of all serious workers’ compensation
claims. On average there were 39 claims each day from employees who required
one or more weeks off work because of work-related injury or disease.
Figure 1 shows that the incidence rate of
serious claims in this industry has fallen 36% from 31.0 claims per 1000
employees in 2000–01 to 19.9 in 2009–10. However, this rate remains much higher
than the rate for all industries of 13.0 and was
the fourth highest of all industries in 2009–10.
Over the past three years Body stressing
accounted for 34% of claims with many of these claims due to muscular stress
while handling a range of materials and equipment. Falls, trips and slips of
a person accounted for 26% of claims and there were similar numbers for Falls from height as Falls on
same level. Being hit by moving objects
accounted for 16% of claims. Many of these claims involved being hit by falling
materials or equipment.
Over the period 2006–07 to 2009–10 all
jurisdictions except the Australian Capital Territory recorded decreases in
incidence rates. The largest decrease was recorded by South Australia (27%)
closely followed by Tasmania (26%) and Western Australia (24%). The Australian
Capital Territory recorded a 14% increase.
The preliminary data for 2010–11 show that
incidence rates across Australia ranged from 12.6 claims per 1000 employees in
the Northern Territory to 25.2 in Tasmania.
Over the period 2006–07 to 2009–10 South
Australia recorded the largest decrease in incidence rates (39%) followed by
the Northern Territory (29%). The Australian Capital Territory recorded the
largest increase (17%).
The preliminary data for 2010–11 show that
the Australian Capital Territory recorded the highest incidence rate of 9.5
claims per 1000 employees while the Northern Territory recorded the lowest at
2.5.
Claims data were extracted from the
National Data Set (NDS) for compensation statistics. The data presented here
are restricted to accepted claims for serious injury and disease. Serious
claims include fatalities, claims for permanent disability and claims for
conditions that involve one or more weeks of time lost from work. Serious
claims do not include those involving journeys to and from work. The 2010–11
data are preliminary and expected to rise. More information on this industry
can be found at safeworkaustralia.gov.au
Information on fatalities is extracted from
the Traumatic Injury Fatalities database. Annual fatalities reports can be
found at http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/ov.au
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