What do the Statistics Say?
You are twice as likely to be hospitalised due to injury in remote regions of Australia. Recently published reports have identified that the workplace is a key setting responsible for this higher injury rate. This occurs in spite of overall workplace injury and loss time injury rates improving on a whole Australia wide. This outlines the frustrating lack of adequate health services readily available for those working outside of a metropolitan area.
Which Industries are at Risk?
Safe Work Australia has outlined that the following industry sectors have the highest rates of serious injury related worker’s compensation claims in the country:
- Transport, Postal & Warehousing
- Healthcare & Social Assistance
- Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing
These industries have high percentages of workers who are mobile and partake in lone working. Workers within these industries operating outside of a metropolitan area are at the nation’s highest risk of serious injury. The businesses that operate in these industries with rural, remote, lone or mobile workers are at the highest risk of having to bear the costs of serious injury related compensation claims.
How Does a Business Control Workplace Injury?
Occupational physiotherapy has been proven to effectively decrease injury rates and improve health outcomes for workers. Programs that make use of early intervention and implement prevention strategies have been proven to have the greatest success rates. Access to key injury prevention and management services such as occupational physiotherapy is limited for mobile, lone, rural and remote workers due to the logistical, operational and financial barriers of health service delivery.
Strategies for Rural, Remote, Mobile and Lone Workers:
Remote, rural, lone and mobile workers do not have adequate access to the provision of injury prevention and management services. A service to address this disparity would need to:
- Be available irrespective of location
- Respond rapidly to the injured worker
- Be financially viable
With these challenges met there would be the chance to address the risk currently posed to workers and businesses alike. It is apparent that there is a need for the development of a proactive service that will address the ongoing challenge of injury prevention and management for lone, remote, rural or mobile workers across Australia.
The team at Employ Health pride ourselves on being game changers who invest with our partners in their long term improvement of injury rates and key health outcomes. We are currently working on a strategy to address the high injury rates and risks presenting lone, remote, rural and mobile workers. If you or your business has a particular query please don’t hesitate to contact us at admin@employhealth.com.au, otherwise we’ll be revealing more in the coming weeks.
References:
Australian Institute of Health & Welfare (2013). Trends in Hospitalised Injury, Australia. Available from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129544396
Comcare (2013). Comcare’s Guide to Remote or Isolated Work. Available online from: http://www.comcare.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/133361/Guide_to_remote_or_isolated_work_WHS1_PDF,_172_KB.pdf
Donovan, M., Khan, A., & Johnston, V. (2016). The Effect of a Workplace-Based Early Intervention Program on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Compensation Outcomes at a Poultry Meat Processing Plant. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, DOI 10.1007/s10926-016-9628-3.
Royal Flying Doctor’s Service (2016). Responding to Injuries in Rural and Remote Australia. Available online from: https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/assets/documents/RN017_Responding_to_Injuries_P14.pdf
Safe Work Australia (2013). Cost of Work Related Injury and Disease 2012 – 2013. Available from: http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/about/Publications/Documents/940/cost-of-work-related-injury-and-disease-2012-13.docx.pdf
Safe Work Australia (2014). Australian Worker’s Comkpensation Statistics 2013-2014. Available from: http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/about/Publications/Documents/961/Australian-Workers-Compensation-Statistics-2013-14.PDF
Safe Work Australia (n.d.). Improving Remote Worker’s Health and Safety. Available from: http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/australian-strategy/case-studies/pages/improving-remote-workers-health-and-safety
