The workforce
This industry grouping covers a wide range of activities, separated into over 60 groups.
The eight largest groups in Tasmania are
- Bakery product manufacturing
- Meat and meat product manufacturing
- Basic non-ferrous metal manufacturing
- Dairy product manufacturing
- Other transport equipment manufacturing
- Beverage manufacturing
- Furniture manufacturing
- Other fabricated metal product manufacturing
7% of the total Tasmanian workforce
79% work full time
All age groups are evenly represented
The injuries
798 injuries across the industry in 2018
30% of injuries over the last ten years resulted in at least one week off work
8.8 serious injuries per million hours worked, in line with the state average of 8.7
44% decrease in serious injury frequency rate in the last ten years; higher than the statewide decrease of 16% in the same period
The people
Meat and meat product manufacturing had the highest serious injury frequency rate and reported the highest number of injuries
Occupation groups with the highest percentage of serious injuries
- 18% Miscellaneous factor process workers
- 17% Food process workers
- 10% Fabrication engineering trades workers
Workers aged 24 and under report a higher serious injury frequency rate than other age brackets
The causes
The most common causes of injury across the industry
- Body stressing
- Falls, slips and trips
- Being hit by moving objects
- Hitting objects with a part of the body
Action areas
Priority conditions and causes identified in the WorkSafe Strategic Plan 2018-2023 relevant to the industry:
- Musculoskeletal disorders
- Hazardous manual tasks
- Slips, trips and falls
- Safe movement of vehicles and plant