Safe Work Australia has released workers’ compensation statistics 2018–2019 report. There was a total of 114,435 serious workers’ compensation claims.
The statistics in the report are of Australian workers’ compensation claims that were lodged between 2000–01 and 2018–19. The statistics are an indicator of Australia’s work health and safety performance over the 19–year period between 2000–01 and 2018–19. However, the data do not cover all work-related injuries and diseases that occurred during this period and are also affected by changes in workers’ eligibility for compensation over time and between jurisdictions
Workers’ Compensation & COVID-19
COVID-19 compensation claims emerging
The 3 occupations with the highest rate of serious claims (per million hours worked) were:
- labourers
- community and personal service workers
- machinery operators and drivers.
The 3 industries with the highest rate of serious claims (per million hours worked) were:
- agriculture, forestry and fishing
- manufacturing, and
- transport, postal and warehousing.
The 3 most common injury types were:
- traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injuries (39% of all serious claims)
- wounds, lacerations, amputations and internal organ damage (16%)
- musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases (16%).
Key findings from the trend analysis from 2008-09 to 2017-18 include:
- The rate of serious claims per million hours worked decreased by 26% (from 7.7 to 5.7 serious claims per million hours worked) from 2008-09 to 2017-18.
- The median time lost for a serious claim increased by 24% (from 5.0 to 6.2 working weeks) from 2008-09 to 2017-18.
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