Advertisement

The deadliest jobs in Australia revealed

Electric shocks, wild cattle and falling objects are some of the leading causes of workplace deaths and injury in Australia.

As of October, 137 Australians had been killed at work this year. Last year, 186 Australians died from work-related injuries.

Research into the most dangerous jobs in Australia released this week has found postal workers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation. Alongside truck drivers and warehouse workers, the humble postie has the greatest risk of dying while at work of any employee group.

• What are the most stressful jobs in Australia?
Unlimited leave, naps and other weird work perks 

In 2012, 65 transport industry workers were killed on the job, mostly in vehicle accidents. Almost one-third of all Australian workplace fatalities occurred in the transport sector.

Perhaps surprisingly, retail and government administration jobs also ranked among the top 10 deadliest industries in the report commissioned by insurance comparison site lifeinsurancefinder.com.au.

The report said that driving, explosions and “being trapped between trapped between stationary and moving objects” had killed retail workers. Lifting heavy objects was also a cause of serious injuries, hurting 11,200 workers.

Workplace deaths Safe Work Australia & Finder

‘Greater safety needed’

Transport Workers Union (TWU) assistant national secretary Michael Kaine said the findings confirm the need for a safer road transport industry – a need that has been ignored despite “decades of evidence”.

“We need a greater focus on road safety in this country, not a weaker one,” Mr Kaine said.

The union blames the fatalities on big retailers who pressure drivers to speed, skip rest breaks and illegally overload their vehicles in order to meet unrealistic delivery conditions, and on government bodies for not properly enforcing the law.

“[It’s] life and death that matters, not the niceties of competition law,” Mr Kaine said.

NSW truck driver John Waltis told the TWU he has attended 52 funerals of trucking colleagues killed in crashes, and said: “I don’t want to go to any more.”

Dangerous outdoor jobs

Agriculture, forestry and fishing was the second-most dangerous industry, with the majority of deaths caused by drowning, heat exposure or being struck by an animal.

Construction industry deaths were also commonplace, with falling from a height the most common cause of death.

Vehicle accidents and rollovers are the leading cause of workplace death, followed by being hit by falling objects.

Being hit by a moving object was the third-most common fatality, followed by being trapped by moving or stationary objects, being hit by animal, having contact with electricity and being trapped by machinery.

Explosions, contact with chemicals and becoming trapped by large objects were among the leading causes of workplace death for people in the retail industry.

Danger awareness

Lifeinsurancefinder.com.au spokesperson Michelle Hutchison said many Australians should be aware of some of the dangers associated with their jobs.

Truck crash AAP

Truck drivers have the most dangerous job in Australia. Photo: AAP

“Many Australian workers have to drive vehicles or lift things as part of their job, and they may not realise how dangerous their work can be,” Ms Hutchinson said.

“Whether you’re behind a desk all day or on the road, you can’t always avoid danger while working.”

“You may not think that a sales assistant has a dangerous job, but when we found that there were 11,206 serious injuries including six fatalities in the one year, it’s not surprising that it made the list,” Ms Hutchinson said.

Work-related injuries have an average $60 billion-a-year impact on the economy, according to the report. That equates to four per cent of Australia’s total GDP.

Despite the alarming figures, Australia remains a relatively safe place to work. It ranks as the world’s sixth-safest country to work in, after Nordic countries like Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

Worrying signs

But in some industries, Australia’s workplace death toll is increasing at an alarming rate.

According to Safe Work Australia data, the number of serious injury claims in the mining and health industries that resulted in death, permanent or temporary incapacity has steadily grown since 2000.

The number of serious injuries in the construction industry remained unchanged during that same period.

Industries that demonstrated a significant reduction in deaths included the agricultural, retail and manufacturing sectors.

Overall, the Australian workforce is getting safer, with a 47 per cent decrease in work related injury and illness between 2011 and 2012.

Australia’s top 10 most dangerous jobs

1. Postal worker, transport and warehousing – 65 deaths

2. Agriculture, fishing and forestry – 53 deaths

3. Construction – 30 deaths

4. Manufacturing – 18 deaths

5. Public government/administration, safety and defence – 13 deaths

6. Mining – 7 deaths

7. Retail trade – 6 deaths

8. Professional, scientific, and technical services – 6 deaths

9. Wholesale trade – 5 deaths

10. Electricity, gas, water and waste services – 5 deaths

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.