5/03/2008

News Item

Industries move to cut workplace deaths

Queensland industries have pledged to do more to prevent thousands of workplace injuries and deaths each year.

State Industrial Relations Minister John Mickel on Wednesday launched seven industry action plans to improve workplace health and safety over the next three years.

Mr Mickel said the plans, negotiated with companies, unions and industry groups, would help meet a target of cutting the incidence of work-related injuries by 40 per cent and fatalities by 20 per cent.

"Work-related injury and illness in Queensland costs our community an estimated $5.2 billion each year," Mr Mickel said.

Every year, around 100 Queenslanders die as a result of a work-related incident or disease and more than 100,000 suffer a work-related injury or illness.

The plans, which include education, training and industry-specific health and safety measures, are expected to especially benefit the construction and rural industries.

The $16 billion construction industry, which employs about 213,000 people or one in 10 Queensland workers, is also one of the most dangerous.

Its annual fatality rate is double the rate for Queensland industries as a whole, with 6.1 workers' compensation claims for death per 100,000 workers.

The non-fatal injury rate was 16.5 claims per 1,000 workers compared to 14.8 claims per 1,000 workers for all industries.

The $7 billion rural industry employs around 64,000 people and has an annual rate of 12.2 fatalities per 100,000 workers.

A third of rural industry deaths were due to vehicle accidents, such as crashes on all-terrain vehicles and tractors.

The injury rate for the rural industry is also high, sitting at 19.6 claims per 1,000 workers.

source: http://news.theage.com.au/industries-move-to-cut-workplace-deaths/20080305-1x55.html