Overview

Manufacturing has been identified as a priority harm industry in the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy due to its high rate of work-related injury and illness.

It is South Australia's sixth largest industry sector, employing more than 70,000 workers.

Manufacturing is a complex environment involving many moving parts, heavy machinery/plant, and potentially dangerous materials. In Australia, it is ranked as the fifth most dangerous industry, with 10 fatalities for every 100,000 workers.

Claims data

South Australian workers’ compensation claims in the manufacturing industry constituted 16.6 per cent – or 23,336 – of all accepted ReturnToWorkSA claims in the state between 2016 and 2024.

The industry is divided into 15 major sub-industries. Four sub-industries accounted for 57 per cent of the claims in SA: food product, fabricated metal product, machinery and equipment, and wood product manufacturing.

The top mechanisms of injury in the South Australian manufacturing industry are body stressing (37.8 percent), being hit by moving objects (20.8 percent), hitting objects with the body (13.1 percent), and falls, trips, and slips (12.9 percent).

Occupations and injuries

Three major occupation groups in the industry accounted for 90 per cent of all accepted compensation claims during the period from 2016 to June 2024:

Labourers

accounted for 9,426 accepted claims. The most represented specific occupations were general labourers, product assembly labourers, factory process work labourers, winery cellar hand labourers and meat process work labourers.

Technicians and Trades Workers

6,676 accepted claims. The most represented specific occupations were metal fabricators, general fitters and first-class welders.

Machinery Operators and Drivers

4,838 accepted claims. Specific occupations were general machine operators, storepersons, general truck drivers, and forklift drivers.

Common hazards, activities, and risks

  • Hit by moving objects: Often while working with material and substances, non-powered hand tools, appliances and equipment, and machinery and mainly fixed plant.
  • Crush Injuries & Serious Lacerations: Dangers posed by machinery and sharp objects.
  • Falls or Releases from Heights: Incidents involving forklifts and cranes were significant in this category.
  • Burns and Amputations: Reported by workers handling hot materials and unsafe machinery.
  • Slips, Trips, and Falls: Notifications relating to poor housekeeping and floor surface management.
  • Lead Risk Work: High level of concern about lead exposure, risk management & regulation.
  • Electric Shocks: Many shock incidents were due to faulty equipment & failure to isolate.
  • Substance Escapes and Spillages: Uncontrolled escapes, spillages, and leakages of substance.
  • Forklifts: High number of forklift-related notifications suggests significant risk.
  • Welding Practices: Can include exposure to fumes, inadequate PPE, or improper techniques.
  • Racking Issues: Potential problems with stability, installation, or maintenance.

Campaign information

The 12-month campaign will begin in July 2025 and will target businesses with a history of high workers’ compensation claims.

It will include worksite inspections and audits to identify non-compliance and assist in educating the businesses on their Work Health & Safety (WHS) duty of care to meet their statutory obligations.

The compliance audits aim to ensure interlocking devices on plant are not deliberately overridden and/or defeated.

The campaign will focus on the following 10 areas.

  • Safe systems of work for CNC plant & equipment (interlocking devices being bypassed and/or defeated)
  • General guarding requirements for plant & equipment (interlocking devices)
  • Operational controls (location, function and identification)
  • LOTO procedures/systems
  • Maintenance and inspection of plant & equipment
  • Emergency Evacuation Plans
  • Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
  • High Risk Work Licenses
  • Training of Workers
  • Slips, Trips & Falls (general housekeeping)

The anticipated outcome of the campaign is to assist in the reduction of work-related incidents in the manufacturing industry.

High risk work licensing

High-risk work licences are required for a number of tasks including crane and hoist operation, forklift operation and scaffolding work.

These licences are used widely across several industries including manufacturing, agriculture, forestry and fishing and transport and warehousing.

SafeWork SA’s 2025-26 compliance campaigns will include audits aim to ensure that high-risk work (HRW) is being carried out safely and competently.

The audits will focus on verifying that workers hold a valid HRW licence relevant to the tasks they perform and that employers have systems in place to sight, verify, and record these licences.

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