National report highlights promising signs for the NT but more work needed
Safe Work Australia has published the Comparative Performance Monitoring report 24th edition this morning detailing trend analyses about work health and safety (WHS) and workers’ compensation schemes operating in Australia and New Zealand.
Key indicators related to work health and safety performance show the Northern Territory was heading in the right direction, with positive results recorded in the first four work health and safety indicators.
The Northern Territory recorded the largest decrease in incidence rate for serious claims amongst all jurisdictions, down 12% in the reporting period 2015–16 to 2019–20.
The Northern Territory also recorded a decrease of 4% in frequency rate of serious claims.
The Northern Territory was only one of two jurisdictions to buck the national trend and record a decrease in the incidence rate of long term (12 weeks or more compensation) injury and disease claims, and the frequency rates of long term claims, down 30% and 23% respectively.
The Northern Territory’s Work Health and Safety Regulator Ms Peggy Cheong said while the latest national report showed promising signs of the Territory, a lot more work needed to be done.
“Over the last three years, the Territory has been recording decreases in four of the five work health and safety indicators which I consider to be key.”
“A lot more work needs to be done to reduce the fifth indicator, which is workplace fatalities,” said Ms Cheong.
“While the number of fatalities in the Northern Territory over the past five years has only been in single digits, when expressed as the incident rate per 100,000 workers, the rate for the Territory is the highest in the country.”
“We need to remember that each number represents a Territorian who went to work one day and didn’t make it back home to their family and friends.”
“The Territory’s work health and safety laws are quite clear that everyone is responsible for workplace safety,” said Ms Cheong.
“Employers have the primary duty of care to ensure the workplace is safe, and workers have responsibility for working safely and complying with work health and safety requirements.”
“I’m asking all Territorians to put safety first, so we can all return home safely, each and every day.”
For help understanding your work health and safety responsibilities, visit worksafe.nt.gov.au