Work-Related Injuries, Australia, Jul 2017 - Jun 2018

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, of the 13.4 million persons who had worked at some time in the 12 months Jul 2017 - Jun 2018, 4.2% (563,600) experienced their most recent work-related injury or illness during that same period.

Of the 4.2% of those who experienced a work-related injury or illness in 2017-18:

• approximately 84% continued to work in the job where their injury or illness occurred;
• approximately 7% had changed jobs; and
• 9% were not employed in the reference week.

More than half of the people who experienced a work-related injury or illness were men (54.4%). In 2017-18, 4.3% of males who worked in the last 12 months experienced a work-related injury or illness, down from 4.9% in 2013-14. However, the proportion of females who experienced a work-related injury or illness in the last 12 months increased from 3.6% in 2013-14 to 4.0% in 2017-18.

The highest work-related injury or illness rate occurred in the 50-54 year age group with 58 per 1000 persons who had worked at some time in the last 12 months, followed by the 20-24 year age group with 55 per 1000 persons (up from 41 per 1000 persons in 2013-14).

Of the 563,600 persons who experienced a work-related injury in the last 12 months, over half (53%) received some sort of financial assistance. Of those who received financial assistance, 52% received workers compensation, 45% did not apply for workers compensation and 3% applied for and did not receive workers compensation.

The number of people who did not receive financial assistance has increased from 39% in 2013-14 to 47% in 2017-18.

The number of persons who received workers compensation as a proportion of the total number of people who experienced a work-related injury or illness in the last 12 months has dropped from 35% (183,200) in 2013-14 to 27% (154,300) in 2017-18.

Find out more about the share of people who experienced a work-related injury or illness, by occupation groups and sex here.

This data may point to a need for brokers to be discussing group and individual personal accident and illness insurance solutions with their clients. Learn more about solutions that Blend offers here.

Source: https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/6324.0

Blend Insurance Solutions Pty Ltd (ABN: 47 617 346 353 AFSL: 500768) (“blend”) is an underwriting agency and acts as agent under a binding authority for the Australian branch of Allied World Assurance Company, Ltd (ABN 54 163 304 907).

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