Characterising the Burden of Work-Related Injuries in South Australia: A 15-Year Data Analysis

Jianjun Xiang, Murthy Mittinty, Michael Xiaoliang Tong, Dino Pisaniello and Peng Bi
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Jianjun Xiang: School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Murthy Mittinty: School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Michael Xiaoliang Tong: School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Dino Pisaniello: School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Peng Bi: School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: To characterise the burden of work-related injuries in South Australia, workers’ compensation claim data were obtained from SafeWork South Australia between 2000 and 2014. Descriptive analyses were performed to investigate the burden of work-related injuries by age, gender, occupation, industry, and nature and mechanism of injury. Dunn’s test was used to compare the injury costs and working days lost by industry and occupation. Ordinary linear regression was used to investigate the age-injury cost association. A total of 464,139 workers’ compensation claims were reported during the 15-year period in South Australia, with an overall rate of 4.6 claims per 100 employees, resulting in a total of 20,861,001 working days lost and AU$14.9 billion dollars of compensation payment. Between 2000 to 2014, the annual claim rates, compensation payments, working days lost, and number of work-related death reduced by 59.3, 73.8, 87.1, and 78.6 percent, respectively, while the median compensation payment increased by 67.3% from AU$968 to AU$1620. A 1-year increase in age was associated with a 2.1% (Rate Ratio, RR = 1.021, 95% CI: 1.020–1.022) increase in compensation costs and a 1.3% (RR = 1.013, 95% CI: 1.012–1.020) increase in working days lost. Work-related injury rates are declining in most sectors, however some workers, especially young male technicians and labourers in the community services industry, remain at higher risk. Challenges for workers’ health and safety include the aging labour force, vehicle incidents, and severe injuries among new and foreign-born workers.

Keywords: workers’ compensation; injury claim; occupational injury; South Australia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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