Healthcare and Social Assistance Highest Rate of Injury
Healthcare and Social Assistance 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.
The healthcare and social assistance industry is the largest sector in South Australia, employing more than 162,700 workers – or 18% of the state’s workforce.
The industry provides essential services across four key areas.
The South Australian health care and social assistance workforce is predominately female (77 percent) with the average age of workers being 42.6 years.
The issues facing the industry in South Australia are similar to those nationally. They include significant workforce shortages, particularly among doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. This is driven by burnout, an ageing workforce and an increased demand for services.
Musculoskeletal conditions, slips, trips and falls and mental stress all accounted for large shares of workers compensation claims by healthcare and social assistance workers. Common hazards in the industry include patient handling, bullying and harassment, violence and aggression, and fatigue. The industry’s workforce is predominantly female, older on average when compared to other industries, and includes a high proportion of workers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
New Model Code of Practice
To support this industry, Safe Work Australia have developed a model Code of Practice.
The code of practice provides practical guidance on achieving the safety standards under the WHS Act. Marie Boland, the Chief Executive Officer of Safe Work Australia identified the importance of this new code of practice, discussing how the industry culture needs to change from one where work-related hazards are 'just part of the job' to one that recognises that 'worker safety is good for patients too'.
Many people in the industry report a focus on patient or client safety to the detriment of workers, and a general sense that work-related hazards are 'just part of the job'.
The Code aims to make it easier for employers and workers understand their legal obligations and protections. It should help improve the way risks are managed across the healthcare and social assistance industry.