Global Data | Fatalities

Australian Workplace Fatalities:

Overall Decline Masks Sector-Specific Rises

Published Apr, 2024

Australia has witnessed a consistent decrease in workplace fatality rates, dropping from 2.76 per 100,000 workers in 2003 to 1.76 in 2013, and further to 1.43 in 2022. This trend is notably different from that observed in some advanced economies, such as the UK and the US, where reductions in fatality rates have either plateaued over the last decade or remained stagnant throughout the past two decades.

Although the total fatalities of 195 for 2022 represented an increase on the 172 reported for 2021, the overall trend in both absolute number of fatalities and fatality rates is trending steadily downward.

Safework Australia, the agency responsible for compiling the nation's workplace fatality and reportable accident data, highlighted in its 2023 report (covering up to 2022) that the Australian economy would have been $28.6 billion larger annually in the absence of workplace injuries and illnesses.

A Note on Understanding Statistics in Reports

The famous phrase often attributed to Mark Twain, "lies, damned lies, and statistics," resonates when one delves into the interpretation of statistical reports. It's essential to acknowledge that statistical analyses rest upon various assumptions—some are explicitly mentioned, while others are not so apparent.

Fatality statistics, in particular, are subject to fluctuations influenced by global phenomena, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which significantly affected data from 2020 to 2022. It's expected that the pandemic's repercussions will persist, subtly influencing data trends in the years that follow.

Moreover, the criteria for what is included in statistical datasets vary from one jurisdiction to another, rendering the comparison of national statistics difficult, and international comparisons even more so.

Both the Absolute Numbers and Rates Show a Downward Trend

In 2022, Australia recorded 195 workplace fatalities, equating to a fatality rate of 1.43 per 100,000 workers. This marks a notable decrease from earlier figures, including 231 fatalities in 2012.

Over a span of two decades, the fatality rate has seen a significant reduction, going from 2.76 in 2003 to 1.43 in 2022.

This consistent decrease is observable in key sectors such as construction and agriculture. However, this trend is countered by a notable rise in fatalities within the transport sector.

Transportation: An Escalating Risk

The transportation, postal, and warehousing sector experienced 67 fatalities in 2022, accounting for 34% of all workplace fatalities during the period. With a fatality rate of 9.52 per 100,000 workers, this sector is now recognised as the second most hazardous industry in Australia, closely following Agriculture.

Contrary to the overall declining trend, the transport sector has seen a consistent increase in fatalities over the last decade. Both the absolute numbers and the fatality rates have increased steadily.

From 44 fatalities in 2015, which corresponded to a fatality rate of 7.21 per 100,000 workers, this critical sector of the Australian economy has escalated into a significant concern. Annually, it accounts for between 20% to 34% of all fatalities, reaching its highest proportion of 34% in 2022. It has accounted for over 20% of the total workplace fatalities in each year over the past two decades.

Agriculture Fatality Rates: Decreasing but Persistently High

The Australian agriculture sector reported 44 fatalities in 2022, maintaining its position as one of the sectors with the highest workplace fatality rates in Australia. Fatality rate for the year in the sector was 14.66 per 100,000 workers.

The sector is as hazardous in Australia as it is in other comparable countries, with the agriculture sectors in the US and Ireland reporting fatality rates of 18.6 and 13.8 per 100,000 workers, respectively, during comparable time frames.

Despite this, the past decade has seen noteworthy progress in reducing the fatality rate within Australia's agriculture sector, from 18.65 per 100,000 workers in 2015 down to 14.66 in 2022. However, it still ranks as one of the most hazardous industries in the nation.

Construction: A Continuing Challenge

In 2022, the Australian construction industry reported 27 workplace fatalities, translating to a fatality rate of 2.2 per 100,000 workers, closely mirroring the UK's rate of 2.1 over a similar period. Despite being a sector known for its high-risk settings and significant accident rates, construction's visibility in the media often overshadows even more hazardous sectors like agriculture in terms of statistical danger.

Fatality rates within the Australian construction sector have followed the broader trend of decline seen across overall workplace fatalities. While the reduction in the absolute number of fatalities has been more modest, there has been a consistent downward movement in both rates and absolute numbers.

Vehicle/Transport-Related Accidents: An Escalating Concern

Transport and vehicle-related fatalities constituted nearly half of all workplace fatalities in 2022, establishing them as the predominant hazard for Australian workers. This reflects a similar trend in the US, where transport-related incidents are a leading cause of workplace fatalities, contrasting with the UK and Ireland, where falls from heights are more prevalent.

With 91 fatalities in 2022, up from 71 in 2021, vehicle and transport-related fatalities have emerged as the most critical risk in Australian workplaces.

This trend highlights a concerning upward trajectory in transport-related fatalities, diverging from the overall decreasing trend in workplace fatalities in Australia, both in numbers and rates.

In conclusion, a multitude of factors, including advancements in healthcare outcomes, enhanced workplace technologies, improved safety management systems, and the development of stronger safety cultures, may all contribute to the observed trend of improving workplace accident rates. However, the significant and consistent rise in transport sector incidents starkly contrasts with these positive trends.

Despite significant advancements in camera and remote sensing technologies, wearable devices, and higher standards of vehicle safety, the increase in transport and vehicle-related accidents points to a possible policy oversight or an inherently complex challenge.

The similarity with the United States, which also features vast distances between population centers, suggests that geographic and infrastructural factors may play a role. This theory is further supported by the lower incidence of transport-related accidents in geographically compact countries like the UK and Ireland, where transport fatality rates are substantially lower, both in absolute terms and as a proportion of total workplace fatalities.

The data presented in this article are based on publicly available information and have been processed to highlight key trends. Yet they lack the crucial metadata necessary for a deeper analysis to understand why transportation poses such a significant risk to Australian workers.

At SafetyRatios, our goal is to ignite discussions and guide researchers towards these less-explored trends in global workplace accident statistics. Our interactive dashboard features all the charts discussed, enriched with data from the UK, the US, Australia, Ireland and other nations that will soon be added.

We encourage you to sign up today and begin your own dialogue and research with our data.

In closing, we urge you to pause and remember the individuals who have lost their lives to workplace accidents, acknowledging that they were simply performing their duties, unaware of the tragic outcome. Each of the 195 individuals remembered here has left behind a network of family and friends. Their legacy motivates us to work towards a future where such tragedies become ever more infrequent.