By Catherine Ngo Content writer, presenter and podcaster

The newly released data from Safe Work Australia's Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2024 provides a comprehensive overview of work health and safety in Australia, highlighting critical statistics on work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. 

Despite progress in improving workplace safety, the unfortunate loss of two hundred workers' lives in 2023 serves as a sobering reminder of the challenges that remain. 

This annual publication presents a comprehensive overview of work health and safety in Australia, utilising national data on work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses.

Australia's work-related injury rate stands at 3.5%, indicating that one-third of the global rate of 12.1% experienced a work-related injury or illness in the past 12 months.

The report highlights that 76% of work-related traumatic injury fatalities and 61% of serious workers' compensation claims were concentrated in six industries: agriculture, forestry, and fishing; public administration and safety; transport, postal and warehousing; manufacturing; health care and social assistance; and construction.

Marie Boland, CEO of Safe Work Australia, says, "All workers have the right to a healthy and safe working environment, and any workplace death is unacceptable."

"While Australia compares favourably to the rest of the world, the fact that 200 people did not come home from work in 2023 reminds us that we cannot afford to be complacent."

Vehicle-related fatalities are the highest. Mental health claims continue to rise

Vehicle accidents remain the primary cause of workplace fatalities, accounting for 42% of all worker deaths (84 fatalities).

Falls from heights have emerged as the second leading contributor, witnessing a 71% increase since 2022. This resulted in twenty-nine fatalities compared to seventeen in the previous year.

Claims related to mental health conditions continued to surge in 2023, now representing 10.5% of all serious claims.

The median time lost from work due to mental health issues is significantly longer than that recorded for all injuries and diseases combined.

"The data reinforces the importance of a strong legislative framework to protect workers and others and serves as a call to action for everyone who has work health and safety obligations and all of us in work health and safety roles," Boland says. 

Key Statistics – work-related injury fatalities in 2023

  • In 2023, Australia sadly witnessed two hundred fatal work-related injuries.
  • The positive news is that the traumatic injury fatality rate for workers in Australia has steadily decreased by 19% since 2013.
  • While the number of fatalities was slightly higher than the average of 191 workers lost per year over the past five years (2019-2023), the fatality rate remained consistent with the average (1.4 fatalities per 100,000 workers).
  • It is concerning to note that 95% of these fatalities were men.
  • Vehicle incidents remain the leading cause of worker fatalities, accounting for 42% of all cases. Machinery operators and drivers had the highest number of deaths by occupation, with seventy-three fatalities.
  • The agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries had the highest worker fatality rate at 9.2 per 100,000.

Key Statistics - Work-related injury and illness 2023

  • In the 2022-23 fiscal year, Australia recorded 139,000 serious workers' compensation claims.
  • The median time lost due to work-related injuries and illnesses has risen steadily over the past decade, with 21.3% of accepted claims involving at least 13 weeks of absence from work in 2021-22.
  • Body stressing injuries were the most common cause of serious workers' compensation claims (32.7%), followed by falls, slips and trips involving individuals, being struck by moving objects, and mental stress.
  • Mental health conditions accounted for 10.5% (or 14,600) of claims in 2022-23p, representing a 19.2% increase from 2021-22 and a remarkable 97.3% increase compared to a decade ago.
  • Workers aged 25 to 44 had the lowest rate of serious claims, with only 5.6 serious claims per million hours worked.

As we reflect on these statistics, it is crucial that we all play our part in creating a safer work environment. You can view the full Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2024 report here and consider how we can contribute to reducing work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses.