Everybody has a reasonable expectation that their safety will be assured when they head to their workplace each day.
But while employers and employees are bound by workplace health and safety legislation like Australian WHS laws and the Work Health and Safety Act in Queensland, accidents still happen.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures shows that around 4.3 per cent of men and 3.6 per cent of women will suffer a workplace-related injury or illness every year.
Of the men who suffered an injury or illness, 36 per cent were technicians or trade workers while another 13 per cent were professionals. Over 20 per cent were working in construction, 12 per cent in manufacturing and 10 per cent were in retail.
Just under 30 per cent of women were community and personal service workers and another 24 per cent were professionals. 29 per cent were working in the fields of health care and social assistance when they suffered injury or illness.
These are figures that are on the decline, but unfortunately, too many people are still getting hurt or killed in the line of work each year.
Here are the leading causes of workplace accidents and the industries where these incidents are most likely to occur, to help businesses become more aware and help put strategies in place to prevent unnecessary heartache.
Almost one-third of all workplace fatalities occur behind the wheel of a vehicle. Around 32 per cent of all deaths each year are because of vehicle collisions – almost double the next cause of workplace fatality.
Rollovers in vehicles not designed for the road (industrial vehicles etc) account for another five per cent of all workplace fatalities.
In terms of different workplaces, machinery operators and drivers are the most likely to be killed in the line of work in Australia with 7.1 fatalities per 100,000 workers annually.
Combined, these two types of accident make up 26 per cent of all workplace fatalities across the board.
Moving objects are the larger hazard, accounting for 18 per cent of workplaces deaths annually.
This is the other major factor when it comes to work-related injury fatalities is falls from heights – and it doesn’t have to be a large height either.
Around 15 per cent of all workplace fatalities are caused by falls from height and around half of those were from three metres or less.
With so many workplace-related injuries and deaths involving vehicles, the importance of keeping staff safe behind the wheel and knowing they have reached their destination is critical.
Journey Management System (JMS) is an end-to-end mobile and web application that enables staff members to submit a digital journey management plan to their managers – so all drivers are tracked and accounted for.
For more information on the digital solution that can help prevent unnecessary workplace fatalities on the road, contact JMS today.
