Administrative and Support Services Workers in focus

Administrative and Support Services employs approximately 451,700 persons (ABS trend data), which accounts for 3.5 per cent of the total workforce. Over the past five years, employment in the industry has increased by 17.1 per cent. The median age for workers in this industry is 41 years and median weekly earnings are around $948 per week. Workers in this industry perform support activities for the day-to-day operations of other businesses or organisations.

These activities include:

• office administration
• hiring and placing personnel for others
• preparing documents
• taking orders for clients by telephone
• providing credit reporting or collecting services
• arranging travel and travel tours.

Other types of support services covered under this industry are:

• building and other cleaning services
• pest control services
• gardening services
• packaging products for others.

Top causes of injury include:

There are a vast range of activities and workplaces within this industry. Each workplace presents its own safety challenges.

For administrative workers, the industry common causes of injuries include:

• repetitive motion injuries
• slips, trips and falls
• muscle strains
• stress
• aggression and violence (front desk and telephone)
• bullying.

For workers involved in front line work, the industry common causes of injuries include:

• violence and aggression
• fire and explosion
• electric shock
• falls
• being hit by objects.

Common hazards include:

Significantly, office and desk-based activities feature across all areas of this industry. Sedentary work, sitting at a desk, can be detrimental to both workers well-being and general health. These negatives can impact their focus on working safely.

Each workplace is different though. It's important to understand what the hazards are in any business so any risk they pose can be adequately assessed.

To help you get started, information on how to identify hazards and manage the risks common to the administrative and support industry, include:

• sedentary work
• sprains and strains from repetitive movements
• workplace bullying
• workplace facilities
• electric shock
• traffic control
• aggressive public (both physical and verbal)
• fire
• falling objects
• access and egress from a site
• hot and cold environments
• fatigue
• personal protective equipment
• alcohol and drugs.

Source: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/your-industry/administrative-and-support-services

Sources: ABS, Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, Quarterly, cat. no. 6291.0.55.003, trend. Average full time hours data is Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business trend; Earnings data are ABS, Characteristics of Employment Cat. No. 6333.0, August 2019; Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, 2019 employment projections, five years to May 2024.

Source: Four quarter average and custom data based on ABS Labour Force, Australia, Cat no: 6291.0.55.003.

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