Unmasking Australia’s Most Dangerous Professions: Is Your Job on the List?

Last year, a staggering 80 percent of workplace fatalities occurred within just six sectors.

The regulatory body identified that the majority of these fatalities were concentrated in agriculture, forestry, and fishing; public administration and safety; transport, postal, and warehousing; manufacturing; healthcare and social assistance; and construction.

The analysis revealed that vehicle-related incidents were the primary cause of workplace deaths, accounting for 42 percent or 79 fatalities. This was followed by deaths due to falls from heights, which made up 13 percent or 24 fatalities.

While Australia’s workplace safety standards are generally superior to many other countries, boasting an injury rate of just 3.5 percent compared to the global average of 12.1 percent, Safe Work Australia emphasizes that the consequences are still significant.

During the 2023–24 period, there were 146,700 serious workers’ compensation claims, each involving at least a week of lost work time, translating to over 400 serious claims being filed daily.

Claims for mental health conditions continue to rise and now account for 12 per cent of all serious claims, an increase of 14.7 per cent from the previous year.

The median time lost from work in these claims is almost five times that recorded across all other injuries and diseases.

“Our data show there is still more to be done to ensure every worker, regardless of occupation or industry, returns home safely at the end of the day,” Safe Work Australia chief executive Marie Boland said.

“Behind every statistic is a person, a family, workmates, a community and a story.”