Data from the infographic
Manufacturing fatalities
In the five years from 2008–9 to 2012–13, there were 107 manufacturing workers killed. The most common causes of fatalities were vehicle incidents, being hit by moving or falling objects, falls from heights and being trapped by moving machinery.
The following table shows the manufacturing sub-sectors with the highest numbers of workers killed:
| Industry Sub-sector | Number of workers killed |
|---|---|
| Machinery and equipment manufacturing | 22 |
| Transport equipment manufacturing | 17 |
| Food product manufacturing | 17 |
| Fabricated metal manufacturing | 12 |
Manufacturing serious injuries
In the five years from 2008–9 to 2012-13 there were 87,285 serious injuries reported. The most common types of injury were joint/ligament, muscle/tendon, wounds, lacerations, amputations, internal organ damage, and fractures.
The following table shows the main causes of serious injuries:
| Cause of injury | Number of serious injuries |
|---|---|
| Body stressing | 39,410 |
| Hit by moving objects | 16,450 |
| Slips, trips and falls | 14,235 |
| Hitting objects with part of the body | 8,935 |
Sources of information
Safe Work Australia’s national dataset for compensation-based statistics
Traumatic Injuries Fatality dataset
Who is this presentation for?
Business owners and managers in the manufacturing industry will find it very useful to know where to start to manage the key hazards facing their workers. Teachers and trainers who are preparing workers for this industry sector will also benefit from understanding the most serious hazards their students face.
Useful resources
The problem
- Work-related traumatic injury fatalities
- Incidence rates and frequency rates of serious claims by industry, 2000–01 to 2013–14
- Manufacturing fact sheet
- Work health and safety perceptions: manufacturing industry
- Work health and safety in structural metal product manufacturing: A qualitative research study
- Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012–2022
- Australian Strategy national priority industries
Some solutions
- Principles of good work design
- Model code of practice – Managing the risks of plant in the workplace
- Injury hotspots – WorkSafe Victoria interactive infographics
- Model code of practice – How to manage work health and safety risks
For more information on prevention see your local work health and safety regulator.
