On this page:
- Table 1: Worker fatalities: number by state/territory of death, 2017, 2018 and five year average (2014 to 2018)
- Table 2: Worker fatalities: fatality rate by state/territory of death, 2017, 18 and five year average (2014 to 2018)
- Table 3: Worker fatalities: number by state/territory of death and industries with the highest number of fatalities, 2014 to 2018 combined
- Table 4: Worker fatalities: number by jurisdiction and public road status, 2018
This page provides statistics on worker fatalities by the state or territory where the death occurred.
Both the number and rate of fatalities decreased in 2018 for all states and territories (based on the location where the fatality occurred), except for the Australian Capital Territory which remained steady at 1 fatality and a rate of 0.4 fatalities per 100,000 workers. Please note that worker fatalities which occurred in a state or territory may not fall within the jurisdictional responsibility of that state or territory (see Table 4 for a breakdown by jurisdiction).
Table 1: Worker fatalities: number by state/territory of death, 2017, 2018 and five year average (2014 to 2018)
| State/Territory | 2017 | 2018 | 5yr average (2014-2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 61 | 47 | 56 |
| Queensland | 44 | 39 | 46 |
| Victoria | 36 | 32 | 37 |
| Western Australia | 21 | 13 | 24 |
| South Australia | 14 | 8 | 13 |
| Northern Territory | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| Tasmania | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 189 | 144 | 186 |
Table 2: Worker fatalities: fatality rate by state/territory of death, 2017, 18 and five year average (2014 to 2018)
Based on the location of where the fatality occurred, over the five years from 2014 to 2018, the Agriculture, forestry and fishing industry accounted for the highest number of worker fatalities in Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania. The Transport, postal and warehousing industry accounted for the highest number of worker fatalities in the other states and territories.
| State/Territory | 2017 | 2018 | 5yr average (2014-2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| Queensland | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
| Victoria | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Western Australia | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
| South Australia | 1.7 | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Northern Territory | 5.1 | 2.2 | 3.0 |
| Tasmania | 2.0 | 0.4 | 2.2 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Total | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.5 |
Table 3: Worker fatalities: number by state/territory of death and industries with the highest number of fatalities, 2014 to 2018 combined
| Industry | New South Wales | Queensland | Victoria | Western Australia | South Australia | Tasmania | Northern Territory | National total* (2014-2018) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 61 | 61 | 63 | 23 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 237 |
| Transport, postal and warehousing | 67 | 57 | 38 | 30 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 226 |
| Construction | 58 | 36 | 33 | 18 | 9 | 1 | .. | 156 |
| Manufacturing | 24 | 14 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 3 | .. | 59 |
| Mining | 7 | 10 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 40 |
| Arts and recreation services | 7 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 2 | .. | 1 | 32 |
| Administrative and support services | 4 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | .. | 27 |
| Public administration and safety | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 26 |
| Other services | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | .. | 22 |
| Electricity, gas, water & waste services | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | .. | .. | 21 |
| All other industries | 37 | 16 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 82 |
| 5 year total (2014–2018) | 282 | 229 | 184 | 121 | 63 | 26 | 20 | 928 |
Note: The Australian Capital Territory was not included separately due to the low number of fatalities, however, the total includes the Australian Capital Territory.
Table 4: Worker fatalities: number by jurisdiction and public road status, 2018
| Jurisdiction* | Not on a public road | On a public road | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 21% | 24% | 24% |
| Queensland | 25% | 25% | 24% |
| Victoria | 15% | 17% | 15% |
| Western Australia | 9% | 7% | 8% |
| South Australia | 3% | 4% | 4% |
| Commonwealth | 2% | 3% | 4% |
| Northern Territory | 3% | 3% | 4% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| Tasmania | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| Aircraft incidents** | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| 2018 total | 112 | 32 | 144 |
* Jurisdictions may include a number of different regulatory authorities.
** Worker fatalities involving aircraft incidents are not tabulated against jurisdictions.