Workplace injuries range from minor injuries requiring first aid to more serious injuries requiring hospitalization. The most common injuries requiring hospitalization occurred in factories, plants, and construction sites and included fractures, open wounds, and muscle/tendon injuries to the hands, wrists, knees, legs and torso. The average hospital stay for a work-related injury was two days, with most workers staying only one day, though some injuries like burns or internal organ damage required longer stays of up to 6.5 days. Many injured workers were unable to return to their previous jobs or industries following their accidents.

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Work-related Injury
Hospitalisation: Better
Safe Than Sorry

2. Accidents in the workplace happen.
Some suffer from minor injuries that
only need first aid and prolonged rest,
while others can be dramatic that it
lands them on a hospital bed. It’s
important for both employers and
workers to take care of themselves, so
this won’t happen again.
How Serious are Workplace Injuries?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
noted that falling from a ladder and
hitting – or being hit – by an object or
vehicle are among the most recent work-
related injuries sustained by the
Australian workforce. Safe Work
Australia added that workers who made
contact with and were caught, jammed,
or crushed with machinery had to be
hospitalised, as well.

3. Most hospitalisation-related accidents
took place in factories and plants
(16%) followed by the farm (11%) and
construction areas (9%). The most
common injuries were fractures (27%),
open wounds (18%), and muscle and
tendon cuts (12%) on the hand, wrist,
knee, lower leg and torso.
Hospitalisation and Workplace Injury
Aftermath
The average stay of a hospitalised worker
is two days. About 70% of work-related
hospitalisations required workers to stay
in the hospital for one day, while 1.9%
extended their stay up to 15 days or
longer. These all depend on the degree of
injury. For instance, burns can take up to
five days, while internal organ damage
can take up to 6.5 days.

4. The ABS noted the absences of workers involved in work-related injuries. About
2% never returned to work after the accident took place, 5% are no longer
working in the industry that caused their injury, and 31% can’t go back even if
they want to because of the injury or illness.
Most accidents are avoidable, so those who are in charge should coordinate with
their people more often to talk about what they should do. To avoid unfortunate
incidents, it’s best for employers to promote safety through proper training,
orientation, and safety signs at all times.
Sources:
http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/about/publications/pages/work-
related-traumatic-injury-fatalities-australia-2013
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6324.0
http://www.bsprint.com.au/