Workplace Health & Safety Statistics
Did you know that every 15 seconds, 153 workers have a work related accident and one of them dies around the world? 317 million accidents occur on the job every year. Sadly 2.3 million deaths occur at work. The economic burden or poor workplace health and safety procedures is 4% of GDP.
In Australia alone, more than 500,000+ people incurred a work related injury last year. View the complete WHS statistics infographic to read more frightening facts about Australian occupational safety including:
- Less that 25% of staff members could remember where the fire extinguisher was in their workplace
- Only 26% of Australians are trained in first aid and could step up and assist in an emergency
- Less that 50% of occupants of a building know what to do during an emergency
- Around 30,000 Australians suffer a cardiac arrest each year, only 9% survive.
- More than 85% of organisations that suffered a confined space fatality lacked safety procedures
Which industries have the highest fatality rate in Australia?
- Construction
- Forestry & Fisheries
- Transport & Storage
- Mining
- Manufacturing
What is workplace health & safety?
WHS is the discipline concerned with protecting the health and safety of all stakeholders in the workplace from exposure to hazards and risks resulting from work activities. Special consideration is required for shift workers or contractors working in vulnerable conditions, new and young employees unaware about the safety procedures, persons with disabilities, expectant mothers and workers without literacy skills.
Who is responsible?
WHS is a critical issue for any business, small or large. All occupational risks must be managed to ensure the health and safety of workers and other people affected by the conduct of the business, including visitors and customers at a workplace.
The employer, or person in control of the business, should ensure the health and safety of all employees and stakeholders of the company. Ideally, there should be a designated employee or a department responsible for managing this risk.
What steps should be taken to ensure WHS?
- Inspect your workplace – Carry out regular risk inspections of the workplace to identify vulnerable situations.
- Training & refreshers – Organise regular training & refresher courses for your employees. Basic training, like how to operate a fire extinguisher, first-aid training or CPA training, mitigates the risks of casualties.
- Display of instructions – It is always advisable to have safety procedures and manuals on display for employees to refer to. Large pictorial displays help in developing subconscious awareness by employees. You can request free Fire Extinguisher Posters from us.
- Investigation of incidents – It is required that you investigate even the smallest of incidents. This will help highlight areas needing attention and identify potential emergency risks.
- Maintain records & look for trends – Keep records of all first aid treatment, inspections, incident investigations, and training activities. This information can help you identify trends in unsafe conditions or work procedures.
- Outsource to a third party – External help or advice may be necessary if there is insufficient in-house experience or knowledge, or if risks are complex.
How can Fire & Safety Australia help?
Fire and Safety Australia is Australia’s leading training body in workplace health & safety. FSA are experts in fire, safety, first aid and rescue. We are a Registered Training Organisation, training over 40,000 people every year. All courses are nationally accredited and comply with state & federal Worksafe and Safe Work Australia standards. We offer corporate training, in-house mobile training, customised training to suit your workplace and regular public courses for individuals, Australia-wide.
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