14 December 2010
Safe Work Australia Chair, Mr Tom Phillips AM, has announced the release of the Twelfth Edition of the Comparative Performance Monitoring (CPM) report on Australia’s work health and safety and workers’ compensation outcomes for the 2008–09 year.
Mr Phillips said the report indicates that the rate of compensated injury fatalities is at its lowest level since the start of the National OHS Strategy 2002-2012 and it is expected that the target of a 20 per cent reduction by 2012 will be achieved.
“While this is a good result, there were still 223 compensated fatalities recorded in Australia for 2008–09 and each year 14 out of every 1000 workers continue to be injured seriously enough to require a week or more off work.”
"To continue to see a decrease in injury and disease in the workplace, we must stay ambitious and set high targets to ensure safer workplaces for all Australians."
”Since the start of the National OHS Strategy 2002-2012 there has been a 22 per cent improvement, however this report shows that considerably more work is required if the target of a 40 per cent reduction in the rate of injuries is to be achieved by 2012.”
“While some areas are recording a reduction in incidents and deaths, we still need to make sure this is across the board. The report shows that return to work following an injury is at its lowest level since records began, with only 72 per cent of injured workers successfully returning to work within eight to 10 months of sustaining their injury.”
“In addition, injury and disease rates in the Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing, Transport & Storage and Manufacturing industries are still nearly twice the national average," said Mr Phillips.
Other key findings in the report include:
- Australian workers’ compensation schemes expended close to $7 billion, of which around half (55%) was paid direct to injured workers in compensation for their injury or illness and 23% was spent on medical and other services.
- Body stressing continued to be the injury/disease that accounts for the greatest proportion of claims (41%).
- Work health and safety authorities undertook over 114 000 workplace interventions and issued 56 000 notices during 2008–09.
- Employers are now paying 1.52% of payroll in workers' compensation premiums compared to 2.15% in 2004–05.
The CPM report series can be found at www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au