WorkSafe Tasmania

WorkSafe Tasmania

Safe and well every day

Statewide snapshot 2021

Key facts about the workforce

The Tasmanian workforce is divided into 19 industry divisions:

  • Accommodation and Food Services
  • Administrative and Support Services
  • Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
  • Arts and Recreation Services
  • Construction
  • Education and Training
  • Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
  • Financial and Insurance Services
  • Health Care and Social Assistance
  • Information Media and Telecommunications
  • Manufacturing
  • Mining
  • Other Services
  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
  • Public Administration and Safety
  • Rental, Hiring and Real estate services
  • Retail Trade
  • Transport
  • Wholesale Trade

Statewide, hours worked have increased in recent years.

At an industry level, Transport, Postal and Warehousing is the industry with the largest increase in hours and Information Media and Telecommunication is the industry with the largest decrease in hours worked.

Statewide, across the workforce, 4 in 10 workers are aged over 45.

16% of Tasmanian workers are employed in Health Care and Social Assistance, making it the largest employing industry in the state.

Key facts about injury numbers

There were 7,575 injuries across the state in 2021.

40% of injuries over the last ten years resulted in at least one week off work.

The serious injury frequency rate for 2021 is 10.5 serious injuries per million hours worked.

There has been a slight increase in serious injury frequency rate over the last ten years.

Key facts about injured workers

Workers aged 55-64 years reported the highest serious injury frequency rate of all age groups.

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services is the industry which reported the biggest decrease in serious injury frequency rate in ten years.

The three following occupations with the highest proportion of the state’s serious injuries are

  • Miscellaneous labourers with 11% of the total
  • Personal carers and assistants with 9% of the total and
  • Cleaners and laundry workers with 5% of the total.

Statewide almost 1 in 4 workers seriously injured in 2021 worked in Health Care and Social Assistance.

Key facts about injury causes

The most common causes of injury across the state in 2021, in order of largest proportion of total injuries, were:

  • Body stressing
  • Being hit by moving objects
  • Falls, slips and trips
  • Mental stress

Priority conditions and causes

The WorkSafe Strategic Plan 2018-2023 identifies six priority causes and conditions, as follows:

  • Musculoskeletal disorders
  • Hazardous manual tasks
  • Safe movement of vehicles and plant
  • Slips, trips and falls
  • Mental health conditions
  • Asbestos related diseases
Last updated: 23 August 2023
my favourites