In this broad industry group, the sectors with most fatalities are machinery and equipment manufacturing, food product manufacturing, transport equipment manufacturing, and fabricated metal manufacturing.

Because of the high levels of work-related death and injury to manufacturing workers, this industry is a national priority under the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2112-2022.

Manufacturing fatalities 

In the five years from 2008–9 to 2012–13, there were 107 manufacturing workers killed. The most common causes of fatalities were vehicle incidents, being hit by moving or falling objects, falls from heights and being trapped by moving machinery. 

The following table shows the manufacturing sub-sectors with the highest numbers of workers killed: 

Manufacturing serious injuries 

In the five years from 2008–9 to 2012-13 there were 87,285 serious injuries reported. The most common types of injury were joint/ligament, muscle/tendon, wounds, lacerations, amputations, internal organ damage, and fractures. 

The following table shows the main causes of serious injuries: 

Sources of information 

Safe Work Australia’s national dataset for compensation-based statistics 

Traumatic Injuries Fatality dataset 

Who is this presentation for? 

Business owners and managers in the manufacturing industry will find it very useful to know where to start to manage the key hazards facing their workers. Teachers and trainers who are preparing workers for this industry sector will also benefit from understanding the most serious hazards their students face. 

Supporting information

• Work-related traumatic injury fatalities 
• Incidence rates and frequency rates of serious claims by industry, 2011–12 to 2014–15 
• Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012–2022  

Some solutions 

• model code of practice – Managing the risks of plant in the workplace 
• model code of practice – How to manage work health and safety risks 
• Injury hotspots – WorkSafe Victoria interactive infographics 

For more information on prevention see your local work health and safety regulator.