On this page:
- Number of fatalities and fatality rate by industry
- Figure 1: Worker fatalities: proportion by industry of employer, average of last 10 years (2007 to 2016) and 2016
- Table 1: Worker fatalities: number by industry of employer, 2003 and 2012 to 2016 (sorted by 2016 fatalities)
- Table 2: Worker fatalities: fatality rate (fatalities per 100,000 workers) by industry of employer, 2003 and 2012 to 2016 (sorted by 2016 rate)
- Year-to-date 2019: Preliminary worker deaths by industry of workplacea
This page provides statistics on worker fatalities by industry between 2003 to 2016.
- Work-related fatalities data is reported on an annual basis and is sourced from our work-related traumatic injury fatalities database.
Information about the industry of the deceased’s employer is coded using the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification, 2006.
Industry of employer relates to the main activity of the establishment where the worker was employed at the time of death, irrespective of where the injury/disease event happened.
Number of fatalities and fatality rate by industry
More detailed statistics to those provided below can be found in the Number and incidence rate of work-related traumatic injury fatalities by industry - 2012-2016 statistical table.
In 2016, 50% of the workers who died were employed either in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries (44 fatalities) or the transport, postal and warehousing industries (47 fatalities).
Figure 1: Worker fatalities: proportion by industry of employer, average of last 10 years (2007 to 2016) and 2016
Table 1: Worker fatalities: number by industry of employer, 2003 and 2012 to 2016 (sorted by 2016 fatalities)
| Industry of employer | 2003 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | % of 2016 | 10yr average (2007-2016) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport, postal & warehousing | 68 | 60 | 43 | 47 | 45 | 47 | 26% | 24% |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 60 | 56 | 55 | 45 | 56 | 44 | 24% | 24% |
| Construction | 43 | 30 | 22 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 19% | 15% |
| Administrative & support services | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4% | 4% |
| Electricity, gas, water & waste services | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 4% | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 20 | 18 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 6 | 3% | 8% |
| Mining | 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 3% | 4% |
| Arts & recreation services | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3% | 3% |
| Public administration & safety | 9 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3% | 4% |
| Health care & social assistance | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2% | 1% |
| Other services | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2% | 2% |
| Retail trade | 7 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2% | 2% |
| Education & training | 2 | 4 | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1% | 1% |
| Rental, hiring & real estate services | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | .. | 2 | 1% | 1% |
| Information media & telecommunications | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1% | 1% |
| Professional, scientific & technical services | 2 | 8 | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | 1% | 2% |
| Accommodation & food services | 5 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | .. | .. | 1% |
| Financial & insurance services | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 0% |
| Wholesale trade | 7 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 2 | .. | .. | 3% |
| Total | 259 | 232 | 202 | 197 | 211 | 182 | 100% | 100% |
Table 2: Worker fatalities: fatality rate (fatalities per 100,000 workers) by industry of employer, 2003 and 2012 to 2016 (sorted by 2016 rate)
| Industry of employer | 2003 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 10yr average(2007-2016) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 16.4 | 17.7 | 18.3 | 13.9 | 18.0 | 14.0 | 16.9 |
| Transport, postal & warehousing | 14.6 | 10.9 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 9.5 |
| Electricity, gas, water & waste services | 5.5 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 5.8 | 2.9 |
| Construction | 5.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
| Mining | 12.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 4.0 |
| Arts & recreation services | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.9 |
| Administrative & support services | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.2 |
| Rental, hiring & real estate services | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Other Services | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Manufacturing | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 2.0 |
| Public administration & safety | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| Information media & telecommunications | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Retail trade | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Health care & social assistance | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Education & training | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Professional, scientific & technical services | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Wholesale trade | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Accommodation & food services | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Financial & insurance services | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 |
| Total | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 2.1 |
Year-to-date 2019: Preliminary worker deaths by industry of workplacea
As at 17 February, there have been 18 Australian workers killed at work in 2019.
In 2018, the preliminary data show there were 154 Australian workers killed at work, compared with 190 workers in 2017. These 2018 figures are preliminary figures and will be updated when more information becomes available.
The 2018 figures are still preliminary and numbers will be updated upward when more information about some workplace fatalities become available.
The number of worker deaths listed in this table is based on initial media reports and is a preliminary estimate of the number of people killed while working. Once the appropriate authority has investigated the death, more accurate information becomes available from which Safe Work Australia updates details of the incident. Updated information is used to publish Safe Work Australia’s annual Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities report which includes finalised work-related fatalities from 2003 onwards.
| Industry of workplace | Preliminary worker deaths year-to-date 2018 | Preliminary worker deaths year-to-date 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing |
5 |
6 |
| Transport, postal & warehousing |
8 |
5 |
| Construction |
5 |
4 |
| Public administration & safety |
0 |
2 |
| Electricity, gas, water & waste services |
1 |
1 |
| Accommodation & food services |
0 |
0 |
| Administrative & support services |
1 |
0 |
| Arts & recreation services |
1 |
0 |
| Education & training |
0 |
0 |
| Financial & insurance services |
0 |
0 |
| Health care & social assistance |
0 |
0 |
| Information media & telecommunications |
0 |
0 |
| Manufacturing |
0 |
0 |
| Miningb |
1 |
0 |
| Other services |
0 |
0 |
| Professional, scientific & technical services |
0 |
0 |
| Retail trade |
0 |
0 |
| Wholesale trade |
1 |
0 |
| Rental, hiring & real estate services |
1 |
0 |
| Total worker deathsc |
24 |
18 |
- a Ranked in descending order, and then on alphabetical order for industries with no fatalities.
- b Mining fatalities include fatalities that occur in the coal mining, oil and gas extraction, metal ore mining, gravel and sand quarrying, and services to mining sectors.
- c Includes notifiable fatalities that occurred overseas.