04:50 pm, Wednesday 20 December, 2006

ALMOST 10 per cent of young men are injured or become ill at work each year, latest Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) figures show.

About 700,000 of the 10.8 million people who worked at some time in the last 12 months experienced a work-related injury or illness – a rate of 6.4 per cent.

ABS data out today revealed younger people generally experienced the highest rates of work-related injury and illness.

Men aged 20 to 24 had the highest rate of work-related injury or illness at 9.8 per cent, and the frequency was generally higher for men than women.

“Almost two-thirds of people who experienced a work-related injury or illness were men,” the ABS report, Work-Related Injuries Australia, said.

The report said this was partly because 54 per cent of workers were men, but men were still at higher risk even accounting for this difference.

Sprains or strains were the most commonly reported conditions, followed by cuts or open wounds, and chronic joint or muscle conditions.

The ABS data also revealed the most risky jobs are held by intermediate production and transport workers, such as plant and machine operators, truck and train drivers, closely followed by tradespeople and labourers.

The most dangerous industries are agriculture, forestry and fishing, manufacturing, and construction and mining, while Queensland and the ACT are the most dangerous states.

The figures show almost one-third of injuries were received through lifting, pushing or pulling an object.

More than two-fifths of those injured had not received any occupational, health and safety training in the job in which the problem occurred.

About six in ten of injured or ill workers took some time off work, including 2.5 per cent who had not returned to work since the injury or illness occurred and 28 per cent who had five days or more off.

About six in ten also received some sort of financial assistance such as workers compensation.

Report by Julia Alder - Do you have an OHS News Story - Let us know