This document discusses the National Data Set for Compensation-based Statistics (NDS), which provides a standard set of data items, concepts, and definitions for inclusion in workers' compensation systems in Australia. The NDS aims to enable the production of national and comparable workers' compensation statistics. It has undergone several revisions to improve data collection. Current NDS-based statistics do not capture all occupational injuries and diseases due to various exclusions.

1. N A T I O N A L D A T A S E T F O R C O M P E N S A T I O N - B A S E D
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2.  This information is published as the
Compendium of Workers
Compensation Statistics as follows:

3.  Reference:
http://safeworkaustralia.gov.au/AboutSafe
WorkAustralia/WhatWeDo/Statistics/Pages
/DataSetForStatistics.aspx
 Note that this website and information was
correct at time of publication.

4.  The National Data Set for Compensation-based
Statistics (NDS) lists a standard set of data items,
concepts and definitions for inclusion in workers’
compensation systems operating in Australia. The
NDS has been implemented in workers’
compensation-based collections administered by
state, territory and Australian government agencies
to enable the production of national and nationally
comparable workers’ compensation-based data.

5.  The National Data Set for Compensation-based
Statistics (NDS) recommends a standard set of data
items, concepts and definitions for inclusion in
workers’ compensation systems operating in
Australia.

6.  The primary purpose of the NDS is to enable the
production of national and nationally comparable
workers’ compensation-based data. These data
provide an important indicator of the nature and
extent of the work health and safety problem in
Australia. In addition, such information is needed to
identify current and emerging work health and
safety issues.

7.  The NDS is supported by several classification
systems including the Australian and New Zealand
Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), the
Australian Standard Classification of Occupations
(ASCO) and the NOHSC Type of Occurrence
Classification System (TOOCS). TOOCS is central to
the NDS. It consists of hierarchical classifications
for nature, bodily location, mechanism, breakdown
agency and agency of injury or disease. Analysis of
these data items allows a determination of some of
the antecedents and consequences of an injury or
disease event.

8.  The first edition of the NDS (NDS1) was published in
April 1987. The first data produced under this
system relate to the 1991-92 reference period. These
data were used to create a national workers’
compensation statistics database. This database is
maintained by Safe Work Australia and updated
annually following provision of the latest available
information from the jurisdictions. Information
from jurisdictions also includes revised data for
previous years, which are used to update the
database.

9.  Two reviews of the NDS have since been completed.
A review of NDS1, which addressed the scope,
definitional and classificatory issues that had arisen
over the five years since its implementation, was
completed in 1999 and a second edition, NDS2 was
published in May of that year. The first year of
reporting against NDS2 was the 2000-01 reference
period.

10.  Since 1998, NDS data have been used to calculate the
work health and safety indicators in the Comparative
Performance Monitoring (CPM) Report. In 1999 the
Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council (WRMC)
extended the data collection role of NOHSC to include all
data required to calculate the full range of CPM
indicators. Against this background, the NDS was
reviewed again to assess how these additional data
items could best be integrated within the existing NDS.
The outcome of this review, the third edition of the NDS,
NDS3 has now been published and includes changes to
the parameters of NDS2 and information on both work
health and safety and workers’ compensation scheme
management. NDS3 becomes effective from 1 July 2005.

11.  Through the current version of the NDS, Australia has
available to it a workers’ compensation database
covering the more serious compensated work-related
injury and disease cases. With some exceptions, data
have been consistently coded to agreed standard
classifications with respect to industry of employer,
occupation of employee, and the type and circumstance
of the injury or disease (that is, nature, bodily location,
mechanism, breakdown agency and agency of injury or
disease). Information is also available on the age and
gender of the injured worker and costs and working
days lost in respect of new cases reported each year.

12.  NDS-based data are used to produce a number of
regular and ad hoc statistical reports, including the
annual Compendium of Workers’ Compensation
Statistics, Australia, which present the data as
indicators of Australia’s work health and safety
experience and performance. NDS-based data also
form the basis of the NOHSC Online Statistics
Interactive Database of National Workers’
Compensation Statistics (NOSI and NOSI2). Users
can interrogate NOSI specifying their statistical
requirements to generate tables and graphs
according to their specifications.

13.  Current NDS-based statistics do not cover
all occurrences of occupational injury and
disease for the following reasons:
 Temporary disability occupational injuries and
diseases that result in absences from work of
less than one working week are not always
claimed as workers’ compensation;

14.  Occupational injuries and diseases occurring on
a journey to or from work (commuting claims)
are not covered by all State and Territory
workers’ compensation schemes;

15.  While the majority of employees are covered for
workers’ compensation under general
Commonwealth, State and Territory workers’
compensation legislation, some specific groups
of workers are covered under separate
legislation. Every effort has been made to
compile data from all groups of employees but it
is known that currently, claims lodged by police
in Western Australia and military personnel
within the Defence Forces are excluded;

16.  Most occupational injuries to the self-employed
are excluded because such workers generally
are not covered for workers’ compensation;

17.  Not all cases of occupational disease are
reported in workers’ compensation statistics.
This is because many diseases result from long-
term exposure to agents or have a long latency
period, making the link between the
occupational disease and work more difficult to
identify; and

18.  Other cases not claimed as workers’
compensation or not acknowledged as being
work-related are excluded.
 More information can be obtained from the
SafeworkAustralia.gov.au website.

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