New figures from Stats NZ have shown that the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry had the highest rate of work-related injury claims.
In 2018, Statistics NZ found that there were 190 claims per 1,000 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) for the industry compared to 102 claims per 1,000 FTEs for other industries.
The figures were based on work-related injury claims accepted by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). Claims may cover muscle strains, sprains, cuts, and potentially life-threatening injuries.
“Handling large animals, machinery, tractors, and farm bikes are the main reasons for injuries in this industry,” said Scott Ussher, government injury information manager at Stats NZ.
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According to the report, the youngest (15 to 24 years old) and oldest (75 years and over) age groups had the highest injury-related claims in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry. The oldest group had an incidence rate of 230 claims per 1,000 FTEs while the youngest had 226 claims.
“Working people aged 75 or older are a small percentage of the workforce in this industry, but they are more likely to make an injury claim, which may reflect the hard, physical work of farming,” said Ussher.
Meanwhile, the information media and telecommunications as well as the financial insurance services industries had the lowest work-related injury claims – both with only 15 claims per 1,000 FTEs. Stats NZ noted that the low rate may be because the workers are usually in low-risk environments such as offices.a
