Snapshot of Work-related Illness and Injury 2014

26th November 2014

The number of people experiencing a work-related injury or illness has continued to decline, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Work-related Injuries, Australia 2013-2014 cat. no. 6324.0). 4.3 percent of the Australian workforce claimed to have experienced a work related illness or injury during the twelve months ended 30 June 2014. There has been a fall of just over two percentage points from 6.4 per cent in 2005-06 and one percent decline on the 5.3 percent reported in 2009-2010.

Thirty-four percent of those persons experiencing work-related illness or injury during 2013-2014 received workers compensation and sixty-one percent had some time off work over that period.

According to the ABS and similar to previous years, men had a higher rate of work-related injuries than women, driven by the large number of injuries sustained by men working in the manufacturing and construction industries. For women, the largest number of injuries occurred in the health care and social assistance industry, and in the accommodation and food services industry.

The most common form of injury were sprains, muscle strains, chronic joint and cuts and wounds. Exposure to mental stress accounted for 6.1 percent of reported illness and injury.

• Approximately 7% took off part of a day or shift
• 23% took one to four days off (20% of males and 27% of females)
• 29% had five days or more off work
• 38.6% did not take any time off work, and
• 2% had not returned to work since the injury or illness occurred