On this page:
- Serious claims overall statistics, 2016-17p*
- Trends in the rates of serious claims, 2016-17p*
- Serious claims by gender, 2016-17p*
- Serious claims by age group, 2016-17p*
- Serious claims by mechanism of incident, 2016-17p*
- Serious claims by nature of injury/disease per cent, 2016-17p*
- Serious claims by nature of injury/disease, 2016-17p*
- Bodily location of injury, 2016-17p*
- Serious claims by occupation, 2016-17p*
- Serious claims by industry, 2016-17p*
- Related information
Safe Work Australia compiles the National Dataset for Compensation-based Statistics which comprises information on workers' compensation claims provided by each of the jurisdictional workers' compensation authorities.
In this section ‘serious claims’ relate to where the compensated injury or disease resulted in one week or more off work. The data for 2016-17 is preliminary (denoted by a ‘p’) and therefore is subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised. Further explanatory notes on the data can be found in the Explanatory notes for Safe Work Australia datasets.
Serious claims overall statistics, 2016-17p*
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Trends in the rates of serious claims, 2016-17p*
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Serious claims by gender, 2016-17p*
Serious claims by gender, 2016-17p*
| Gender | Number of serious claims | Frequency rate (serious claims per million hours worked) |
Incidence rate (serious claims per 1,000 employees) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 38,155 | 4.9 | 6.9 |
| Male | 68,105 | 6.2 | 11.5 |
| Total | 106,260 | 5.6 | 9.3 |
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Serious claims by age group, 2016-17p*
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Serious claims by age group, 2016-17p*
| Age group (years) | Number of serious claims | Frequency rate (serious claims per million hours worked) |
Incidence rate (serious claims per 1,000 employees) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 20 years | 3,635 | 6.4 | 5.5 |
| 20-24 years | 10,085 | 5.7 | 8.2 |
| 25-29 years | 10,860 | 4.5 | 7.8 |
| 30-34 years | 10,390 | 4.3 | 7.5 |
| 35-39 years | 10,070 | 4.6 | 8.1 |
| 40-44 years | 11,540 | 5.3 | 9.3 |
| 45-49 years | 13,545 | 6.2 | 11.1 |
| 50-54 years | 13,735 | 6.9 | 12.2 |
| 55-59 years | 11,960 | 7.2 | 12.4 |
| 60-64 years | 7,595 | 7.7 | 12.2 |
| 65 years and over | 2,845 | 6.0 | 8.1 |
| Total | 106,260 | 5.6 | 9.3 |
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Serious claims by mechanism of incident, 2016-17p*
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Serious claims by mechanism of incident, 2016-17p*
| Mechanism of incident | Number of serious claims | Per cent |
|---|---|---|
| Body stressing | 40,330 | 38 |
| Falls, trips and slips of a person | 25,070 | 24 |
| Being hit by moving objects | 16,565 | 16 |
| Hitting objects with a part of the body | 8,070 | 8 |
| Mental stress | 6,675 | 6 |
| Other mechanisms of incident** | 4,645 | 4 |
| Vehicle collisions | 2,650 | 2 |
| Heat, electricity and other environmental factors | 1,455 | 1 |
| Chemicals and other substances | 800 | 1 |
| Total | 106,260 | 100 |
* preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
** other mechanisms of incident include biological factors, sound and pressure, other multiple mechanisms of incident, roll over, slide or cave-in and unspecified mechanisms of incident.
Serious claims by nature of injury/disease per cent, 2016-17p*
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Serious claims by nature of injury/disease, 2016-17p*
| Nature of injury/disease (1-digit) | Total | Per cent |
|---|---|---|
| Traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injury | 43,930 | 41% |
| Wounds, lacerations, amputations and internal organ damage | 16,690 | 16% |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases | 16,595 | 16% |
| Fractures | 11,485 | 11% |
| Mental disorders | 7,165 | 7% |
| Other injuries/diseases | 4,535 | 4% |
| Digestive system diseases | 2,215 | 2% |
| Burn | 1,620 | 2% |
| Nervous system and sense organ diseases | 1,095 | 1% |
| Intracranial injuries | 930 | 1% |
| Total | 106,260 | 100% |
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Bodily location of injury, 2016-17p*
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Bodily location of injury, 2016-17p*
| Body location of injury/disease (1-digit) | Total | Per cent |
|---|---|---|
| Arms/upper limbs | 26,375 | 25% |
| Lower limbs | 25,020 | 24% |
| Back | 20,215 | 19% |
| Neck and shoulder | 13,275 | 12% |
| Non-physical locations | 7,165 | 7% |
| Other locations | 5,195 | 5% |
| Chest/abdomen | 4,830 | 5% |
| Head | 3,455 | 3% |
| Total** | 106,260 | 100% |
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
**claim numbers are rounded to the nearest five. Claims where the bodily location was unknown are not included separately, but are included in the total.
Serious claims by occupation, 2016-17p*
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Serious claims by occupation, 2016-17p*
| Occupation | Number of claims | Frequency rate (serious claims per million hours worked) |
Incidence rate (serious claims per 1,000 employees) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labourers | 26,330 | 16.5 | 23.7 |
| Community and personal service workers | 18,130 | 11.1 | 14.2 |
| Machinery operators and drivers | 15,035 | 10.8 | 21.1 |
| Technicians and trades workers | 19,965 | 7.2 | 13.7 |
| Sales workers | 5,695 | 4.0 | 5.2 |
| Professionals | 10,795 | 2.3 | 3.9 |
| Clerical and administrative workers | 4,615 | 1.8 | 2.8 |
| Managers | 4,745 | 1.7 | 3.5 |
| Total** | 106,260 | 5.6 | 9.3 |
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
**claim numbers are rounded to the nearest five. Claims where the occupation was unknown are not included separately, but are included in the total.
Serious claims by industry, 2016-17p*
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
Serious claims by industry, 2016-17p*
| Industry | Number of claims | Frequency rate (serious claims per million hours worked) |
Incidence rate (serious claims per 1,000 employees) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 3,620 | 9.5 | 18.7 |
| Construction | 13,280 | 8.1 | 16.0 |
| Arts and recreation services | 2,190 | 8.0 | 10.2 |
| Manufacturing | 12,860 | 8.0 | 15.1 |
| Transport, postal and warehousing | 8,330 | 8.0 | 15.0 |
| Health care and social assistance | 17,190 | 7.8 | 11.1 |
| Wholesale trade | 4,500 | 6.6 | 12.4 |
| Administrative and support services | 4,730 | 6.3 | 10.0 |
| Public administration and safety | 7,710 | 5.9 | 9.6 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,175 | 5.6 | 7.1 |
| Retail trade | 8,490 | 5.0 | 7.0 |
| Electricity, gas, water and waste services | 1,210 | 4.7 | 9.2 |
| Other services | 3,065 | 4.6 | 7.6 |
| Education and training | 6,850 | 4.4 | 6.8 |
| Mining | 2,030 | 4.2 | 9.3 |
| Rental, hiring and real estate services | 970 | 2.6 | 4.7 |
| Information media and telecommunications | 590 | 1.6 | 2.8 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 1,795 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| Financial and insurance services | 585 | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| Total** | 106,260 | 5.6 | 9.3 |
*preliminary data subject to revision in subsequent years as further claims are finalised.
**claim numbers are rounded to the nearest five. Claims where the industry was unknown are not included separately, but are included in the total.