October Fatality Figures Released

SafeWork Australia has just released the October Notifiable Fatalities Monthly Report.

There were 16 work-related notifiable fatalities reported during October 2012 — 14 male workers and two male bystanders. Of these fatalities, three workers and two bystanders died as a result of incidents in the air and on public roads.

Of the 16 fatalities:

• four involved a Vehicle incident–public road crash
• three fatalities were the result of being Hit by falling object
• two fatalities involved a Vehicle incident–not on a public road.
• One fatality each was as a result of being Trapped in machinery, Pedestrian hit by vehicle–not on public road, Vehicle incident–air crash, Fall from a height, Electrocution, Crushing, and being Hit by moving object (unattended vehicle)–not on a public road.

Six fatalities occurred at Manufacturing workplaces, two at Agriculture, forestry & fishing workplaces, two at Construction and two at Personal & other services workplaces. One fatality occurred at each of the following workplaces: Communication services, Government administration & defence, Retail trade and Transport & storage workplaces.

The monthly notifiable fatality report provides a national summary of work-related traumatic fatalities that were notifiable to Australian work health and safety jurisdictions. Besides providing an estimate of the number of work-related deaths, the report also includes details of the types of incident involved; the industry of the workplace at which the fatalities occurred; and the industry of the decedent’s employer.

SafeWork Australia advises that from January 2012 onwards, reporting is based on Calendar year and, by agreement with jurisdictions, the reporting of incidents on public roads will be more comprehensive. Consequently, comparison with 2011 reports should be made with caution.

For further details see the Notified Fatalities Monthly Report October 2012.