Workplace Deaths

Worksafe has a downloadable database of all workplace deaths since 2011. There have been 771, which is of course far too high. Going through the database I was interested in the classifications as some workplace deaths are clearly avoidable (falls) while others much harder to minimise (assaults causing death).

Here’s the number of workplace deaths by type:

  • Trucks/Utes 126
  • Christchurch Earthquake 63
  • Quad Bikes 56
  • Hit by falling objects 53
  • Falls 50
  • Trapped between moving and stationery object 41
  • Tractors 37
  • Slips, trips, tumbles 30
  • Drowning 29
  • Hit my moving object 27
  • Aviation Transport 26
  • Cars 22
  • Mobile plant rollover 22
  • White Island explosion 21
  • Machinery 17
  • Electric Shocks 13
  • Assaults 11
  • Motorbikes 10
  • Hit or bitten by animals 9

If you exclude White Island and the Christchurch quake, the numbers by year are:

  • 2011: 73
  • 2012: 69
  • 2013: 72
  • 2014: 65
  • 2015: 59
  • 2016: 73
  • 2017: 79
  • 2018: 63
  • 2019: 87

Far too many for a country our size.

Comments (53)

Login to comment or vote

Add a Comment