It is widely agreed that New Zealand does not have an adequate data set of work-related fatalities¹. As a consequence, estimates of work-related fatalities are based on multiple database analysis, individual cases reports and historical/overseas trends. Hindering effective comparisons are different database objectives and varying data quality. It is however, commonly believed that the following estimates under estimate the true extent of work-related fatalities.

The following figures are commonly used to quantify the number of workplace deaths in New Zealand each year.

There were an estimated 160 work-related fatal injuries in the 1998/99 year.

This figure reflects the 163 work related injuries that were reported on page 4 of the 1998/99 State of New Zealand's Occupational Safety and Health, December 1999².

This includes 44 deaths investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Service of the Department of Labour, 105 deaths that happened to people on the road³, 9 maritime deaths and 5 during civil aviation operations.

This represents the most recent physical count of work-related fatalities. Physical count means the figure was derived solely from databases relating to that time period.

Work-related means "occurred in a place of work". In other words, the people killed may not all have been workers, but may have been killed as a result of a work activity.

There are an estimated 400 work-related fatal illnesses every year.

This figure also reflects page 4 of the 1998/99 State of New Zealand's Occupational Safety and Health, December 1999⁴.

Unlike the previous figure this is an estimate, as most deaths from occupational disease are not recorded as such.

This figure is supported by a recent study by Dave McLean⁵ of the Wellington School of Medicine that estimated the number of deaths from occupational disease in New Zealand to be between 250-600 per year. The basis for this range was a widely agreed estimate that 4%⁶ of cancer deaths are due to occupational exposures.

How does this compare with other statistics on workplace fatalities?

• The work-related fatalities investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Service, and reported by the Department of Labour are a subset of the 160 work-related fatal injuries.

• There are 1999/2000 figures due to be released by the Accident Insurance Regulator, which describe total workplace fatalities in New Zealand able to be specifically identified as 113. This number probably under-estimates the number of transport-related deaths and does not include non-drivers killed as a result of a work-related motor vehicle accident. It also does not include the full extent of work-related illness.

Occupational Safety and Health Service, 2001

Footnotes:

1

Work-Related Fatal Injuries in New Zealand 1985-1994: Recommendations on the establishment of ongoing work injury mortality surveillance. New Zealand Environmental and Occupational health Research Centre, University of Otago.

2

Produced by the Occupational Safety and Health Service of the Department of Labour

3

This information was extracted from the LTSA database, and due to limitations on "work-related" indicators is highly likely to be an underestimate. Includes drivers (taxis, trucks and buses) and non-drivers (e.g. bystanders killed by a logging truck roll over). Does not include a range of professions which may have been using a vehicle as part of their work (e.g. sales representatives).

4

This report used the workplace illness fatality figure for New Zealand estimated in the Together to Zero Occupational Disease Task Force Report, 1996.

5

The Hidden Hazards: Occupational Health and working in a large business. Dave McLean, Wellington School of Medicine. Dave McLean is in the process of updating this study.

6

The causes of cancer: quantitative estimates of avoidable risks of cancer in the United States today.
Richard Doll and Richard Peto, Journal of the National Cancer Institute 66 (1981):1191-1308