A decade of Western Australia's worst work hazards
A recent WorkSafe publication – “Worst hazards in Western Australian workplaces 2012-13 to 2021-22” – analyses lost time due to workplace injuries and fatalities and reveals some interesting statistical facts about WA workplaces
Staggering 25,000 years lost work time due to hazards
A recent report by WorkSafe Western Australia, "Worst Hazards in Western Australian Workplaces 2012-13 to 2021-22" highlights key insights into workplace injuries and fatalities. Half a million Australians were injured at work in the year 2021-22 and 66% had time off as a result.
The hazards were ranked and analysed in terms of years lost, work injury claims, and economical costs.
The top twenty hazards accounted for a staggering 25,000 years of lost work time as shown in the table below:
When the hazards were categorised into groups, manual handling was found to be the most significant hazard group, responsible for 40% of all lost time.
When hazards were categorised into specific mechanisms, it was found that the top three hazards were:
- Trips on clear ground - 4,338 years lost
- Muscular stress with no objects - 2,155 years lost
- Trips on cluttered ground - 1972 years lost
Top 3 hazards by industry
Agriculture, forestry and fishing support services
- Handling sheep - 132 years lost
- Hit by cow - 128 years lost
- Trip on clear ground - 98 years lost
Road transport
- Truck crash - 299 years lost
- Fall from truck - 256 years lost
- Handling truck - 158 years lost
Construction
- Trip on clear ground - 642 years lost
- Fall from ladder - 423 years lost
- Muscular stress with no objects - 362 years lost
Hospitals
- Handling other person - 665 years lost
- Trip on clear ground - 261 years lost
- Assault - 214 years lost
Schools
- Trips on cluttered ground - 225 years lost
- Trip on clear ground - 455 years lost
- Assault - 330 years lost
Public order, safety and regulatory services
- Muscular stress with no objects - 2,155 years lost
- Trip on clear ground - 4,338 years lost
- Trip on cluttered ground - 1,972 years lost
Gender, age and injury patterns
The report also identifies gender and age disparities in workplace injury patterns. Women are more susceptible to psycho-social hazards and handling other people, while men are at higher risk of falls and vehicle crashes. Young workers under 25 face more risks from electrocution, gravity hazards, and moving objects, whereas workers over 65 are prone to trips, handling, and assault.
WorkSafe warns against complacency
Over the past 34 years, the risk of fatal workplace injuries for Western Australian workers has significantly decreased. Adjusting for the rise in the workforce, the likelihood of a worker suffering a fatal injury dropped by 83% between 1988/89 and 2022/23. In 1988/89, WA saw 49.5 fatalities per million workers, which reduced to 8.5 fatalities per million workers by 2022/23.
Acting WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North emphasised the importance of not becoming complacent despite the positive trend in reducing fatalities:
“Although this decrease in the rate of fatalities is good news, we should never become complacent about the safety of workers."
“The improvements can be attributed to a number of factors including a steady increase in awareness of workplace health and safety over recent decades."
You can read the full report here.
Sources
WA’s worst workplace hazards revealed by Government of Western Australia, 17th May, 2024.
WorkSafe Western Australia, 2024, Worst hazards in Western Australian workplaces: 2012–13 to 2021–22: Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australia, 23 pp
