Men more than twice as likely to be injured at work

Men are twice as likely as women to be injured at work, and almost 20 times more likely to die.

According to figures released by Statistics New Zealand today, 176 per 1000 male full-time equivalent (FTE) employees had an accepted claim for accident compensation last year, compared with 84 per 1000 female FTEs.

However, men accounted for even more work-related injury claims -- almost three-quarters of the total.

In 2004 245,200 claims by 214,500 workers were accepted (as at March 31, 2005), an increase of 2 per cent compared with the previous year.

Seventy-four per cent of claims were made for work-related injury to males and 26 per cent for injury to females.

There were also 73 claims for fatal injury in 2004 and 69 of these claims were made in relation to male workers.

The plant and machine operators and assemblers occupation group, which includes meat and fish processing operators, heavy truck drivers and building and related workers, had the highest number (18 per cent) of claims for work-related injuries.

However, workers in the "elementary occupations" group, which includes labourers, had the highest rate of work-related injury (275 claims per 1000 FTEs).

Offices are the safest place to be in New Zealand: the safest occupation group was clerks, with 46 claims per 1000 FTEs.

Gisborne and Hawke's Bay recorded the highest incidence rates, with 191 and 187 claims per 1000 FTEs, respectively.

The lowest rate, of 77 claims per 1000 FTEs, occurred in the Wellington region.

In total, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) paid out $177.7 million for work-related injuries occurring in 2004.

- NZPA