On this page:
- Trends in work-related injury fatalities, 2003 to 2018
- Work-related injury fatalities by gender, 2018
- Work-related injury fatalities by age group, 2018
- Work-related injury fatalities by state/territory, 2018*
- Work-related injury fatalities by mechanism of fatal injury, 2018
- Work-related injury fatalities by occupation, 2018
- Work-related injury fatalities by industry, 2018
Safe Work Australia compiles the Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities data set which provides national statistics on all workers and bystanders fatally injured at work. This data draws on a range of information sources, including:
- initial reporting of fatalities in the media or on relevant authority websites such as police, road authorities and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau
- notifications to Safe Work Australia from the jurisdictional authorities, and
- the National Coronial Information System which provides confidential access to coroners’,police and other investigative reports.
Work-related fatalities resulting from diseases, natural causes and suicides are excluded. Further explanatory notes on the data can be found in the Explanatory notes: Traumatic injury fatalities for Safe Work Australia.
Trends in work-related injury fatalities, 2003 to 2018
Work-related injury fatalities by gender, 2018
Work-related injury fatalities by age group, 2018
| Age group (years) | Number of fatalities | Fatality rate (fatalities per 100,000 workers) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25 | 19 | 1.0 |
| 25-34 | 24 | 0.8 |
| 35-44 | 25 | 0.9 |
| 45-54 | 27 | 1.0 |
| 55-64 | 31 | 1.7 |
| 65 and over | 18 | 3.3 |
| Total | 144 | 1.1 |
Work-related injury fatalities by state/territory, 2018*
* Fatalities are presented according to the state or territory where the fatality occurred, not the jurisdiction under which the fatality fell.
Work-related injury fatalities by mechanism of fatal injury, 2018
Note: Only mechanisms accounting for 5 per cent or more of fatalities are included. The remaining mechanisms are grouped together under ‘other mechanisms’.
| Mechanism of incident | Number of fatalities | % of injury fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle collision* | 44 | 31% |
| Being hit by moving objects | 24 | 17% |
| Falls from a height | 18 | 13% |
| Being hit by falling objects | 15 | 10% |
| Being trapped between stationary and moving objects | 7 | 5% |
| Being trapped by moving machinery | 7 | 5% |
| Other mechanisms | 29 | 20% |
| Total | 144 | 100% |
* Vehicle collisions include fatalities that occurred as a direct result of a vehicle crash. Vehicles include not only road vehicles such as cars and trucks, but also machines such as aircraft, boats, loaders, tractors and quad bikes.
Work-related injury fatalities by occupation, 2018
| Occupation | Number of fatalities | Fatality rate (fatalities per 100,000 workers) |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery Operators and Drivers | 51 | 6.2 |
| Labourers | 36 | 2.9 |
| Technicians and Trades Workers | 27 | 1.5 |
| Managers | 16 | 1.0 |
| Professionals | 8 | 0.3 |
| Community and Personal Service Workers | 4 | 0.3 |
| Clerical and Administrative Workers | 1 | 0.1 |
| Sales Workers | 1 | 0.1 |
| Total | 144 | 1.1 |
Work-related injury fatalities by industry, 2018
| Industry of employer | Number of fatalities | Fatality rate (fatalities per 100,000 workers) |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 37 | 11.2 |
| Transport, postal & warehousing | 38 | 5.9 |
| Mining | 9 | 3.7 |
| Construction | 24 | 2.0 |
| Electricity, gas, water & waste services | 3 | 2.0 |
| Manufacturing | 13 | 1.4 |
| Rental, hiring & real estate services | 2 | 0.9 |
| Information media & telecommunications | 2 | 0.9 |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 0.8 |
| Arts & recreation services | 2 | 0.8 |
| Administrative & support services | 3 | 0.7 |
| Other Services | 2 | 0.4 |
| Public administration & safety | 3 | 0.4 |
| Accommodation & food services | 1 | 0.1 |
| Education & training | 1 | 0.1 |
| Health care & social assistance | 1 | 0.1 |
| Retail trade | 0 | 0.0 |
| Professional, scientific & technical services | 0 | 0.0 |
| Financial & insurance services | 0 | 0.0 |
| Total | 144 | 1.1 |
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