Current snapshot
The NSW Government sector3
- 393,442 employees in the NSW Government sector in 2015/16
- 10.3% of all employed persons in NSW
The NSW Government sector is over-represented in injury and illness statistics
- 18.1% of all claims in NSW are from the NSW Government sector
- 39.2% being major claims
NSW Government workplaces have far higher rates of claims for injury and occupational disease
- Average incidence rate of claims per 1,000 employees - 28.1/1,000 across NSW
- NSW Government sector 42.9/1,000
- NSW Government sector incidence rate is 1.5 x the average
- 50,805 claims over a three year period cost $863million resulting in 644,470 weeks of lost in work time
- 16 NSW Governemnt sector worker fatalities over 10 years or 1 fatality every 8 months4
Hot spots within NSW Governemnt
Mental diseases
Mental diseases such as anxiety and stress disorders, depression, reaction to stressors:
- 11.6% of all claims
- 40.3% total claim costs
- 3.5 times average claim cost - $59,125 vs $16,997 per claim
- average time off work - 33.7 vs 13 weeks
- 2.6 times average weeks off work
Musculoskeletal injuries and diseases
Musculoskeletal injuries and diseases such as dislocations, trauma and soft tissue injuries:
- 54% of all claims
- 41.4% total claim costs
- 318,586 weeks of work lost 2013/14 - 2015/16
- 57% of all major claims
Workplace violence
- 1 in 21 claims are due to workplace violence - being assaulted by someone
- Average time off work 5 plus weeks
3. Data sourced from the SIRA State Government Sector Injuries and Claims Analytics Report, December 2017. And update Reference section.
4. Fatalities data are sourced from the Traumatic Injury Fatalities Data Collection, Safe Work Australia.