Safe Work Australia‘s latest publication–the Comparative Performance Monitoring Report has revealed that work-related compensated injury fatalities are at their lowest levels in over ten years.
This year’s Report, which is the 16th edition, provides analysis and results of the National Occupational Health and Safety Strategy 2002-2012. According to the Report the Strategy’s purpose was setting national targets to reduce the incidence of work-related injury fatalities by at least 20 percent and the incidence of workplace injury by at least 40 percent by June 2012. The strategy has influenced the work and strategic plans of all Australian work and safety authorities, as well as Safe Work Australia.
According to Michelle Baxter, the acting CEO at Safe Work Australia, this target was achieved with a 41 percent reduction in fatalities.
The achievements of these targets are measured by using the National Data Set for Compensation-based statistics. According to the Report, worker’s compensation data is currently the most comprehensive source of information for measuring work health and safety performance. Data for the Report has been collected from WorkCover and WorkSafe branches in every state and territory, Seacare, as well as the Department of Labour and the Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Corporation in New Zealand.
The Report also provides details on specific injuries such as the fact that the incidence rate of injury and musculoskeletal claims was 26 percent between 2002 to 2012. The Report also provides information on what methods jurisdictions use to encourage work healthy and safety compliance and how disasters can affect health and safety statistics, using the Pike River disaster and the Christchurch earthquake as examples.
The Report is split into chapters–Progress against the National Occupational Health and Safety Strategy, Work health and safety performance, Work health and safety compliance and enforcement activities, Worker’s compensation premiums and entitlements, Worker’s compensation scheme performance and Industry information.
Information on the National Occupational Health and Safety strategy 2012-2022, which launched in October 2012 can be found here.
The 16th edition Comparative Performance Monitoring Report can be found here.
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