National Action Agenda 2010–2013
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Appendix 1: Priority Sectors Which Make Significant Contributions to Fatal and Serious Injuries
The construction sector is New Zealand's third largest, with approximately 192,000 workers.[2] In the most recent injury statistics,[3] it had the third highest incidence rate of work-related injuries, with 141 claims per 1,000 FTEs.[4] The fatal accident rate was more than double the average for all sectors and remains the largest contributor to worker fatalities of any sector (22%). The fragmented and mobile nature of the sector, together with skill shortages and high use of non-standard employment arrangements, present significant challenges to both the sector and regulator.
The agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors have around 160,000 workers,[5] representing about 7% of the workforce in New Zealand. Despite this, the sector is responsible for 18% of fatalities to workers each year. The incidence rate of work-related claims was highest in this sector, with 150 claims per 1,000 FTEs. The key causes of deaths have remained unchanged in the period 2002-2009, notably farm vehicles, being struck by falling trees, mobile plant, livestock handling, and slips, trips and falls on fishing vessels.
The manufacturing sector is the largest sector with around 198,000 workers,[6] and it lodged 39,100 work-related claims (17% of all claims).[7] This was substantially higher than the number made by workers in any other industry, but the sector has the second highest incidence rate of work-related claims, with 149 claims per 1,000 FTEs.
Figure 1: Fatal injury rates to workers, averaged 2002-08
Source: ACC claims data.
Figure 2: Serious injury rates to workers, averaged 2002-08
Source: ACC claims data.
The key causes of fatal and serious injuries
The top three common causes, accounting for almost half of all the fatalities when averaged over the past four years (see Figure 3) are:
- being hit by a moving object (farm vehicles accounted for 23%)
- being hit by a falling object (tree felling represented 13%)
- falls from height (48% occurred in the construction sector).
Figure 3: Main types of fatal injury to workers, averaged 2006-09
Source: Department of Labour fatality data.
Hazards such as slips, trips and falls from height cause 31% of all serious harm in New Zealand workplaces (see Figure 4).
Figure 4: Main type of serious harm injury, averaged 2006-09
Source: Department of Labour serious harm data.
In the manufacturing sector, 39% of injuries are caused by machinery-related hazards.
Key causes of current work-related ill health
In 2004, the National Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Committee (NOHSAC)[8] reported the following findings by combining New Zealand and overseas data. Each year in New Zealand, there are:
- about 700-1,000 deaths from occupational disease, particularly cancer, respiratory disease and ischaemic heart disease
- about 100 deaths from occupational injury
- 17,000-20,000 new cases of work-related disease
- about 200,000 occupational accidents resulting in ACC claims, about half of which result in disability, and about 6% in permanent disability.
Footnotes
[2] Statistics NZ Employment and Unemployment (Labour Market) Tables.
[3] Injury and fatality data is from 2007, the most recent Statistics New Zealand annual release of Injury Statistics – Work-related Claims. The data are also indicative for other years.
[4] Full-time equivalents.
[5] Statistics NZ Employment and Unemployment (Labour Market) Tables.
[6] Statistics NZ Employment and Unemployment (Labour Market) Tables.
[7] Injury Statistics – Work-related Claims: 2007. Revised 21 January 2009 (ACC data).
[8] National Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Committee, The Burden Of Occupational Disease And Injury In New Zealand, 2004.