Agriculture, forestry and fishing named as nation’s riskiest industry for third year running

IF YOU work in these professions, you’re more likely to die or be seriously injured on the job. Something needs to change. Fast.

PEOPLE who work in agriculture, forestry and fishing are employed in some of the country’s deadliest professions, new research has found.

According to comparison site finder.com.au, the industry has been found to be the most dangerous in the country for the third year in a row.

The analysis of the latest SafeWork Australia data found the second riskiest jobs were in transport, postal and warehousing followed by construction in third place.

Meanwhile, the country’s safest jobs are found in the financial and insurance services, with only 620 serious injuries and no fatalities in 2016.

The ranking was based on the rate of fatalities per 100,000 and the rate of compensation claims per 1000 workers.

Sadly, 3414 Australian workers have lost their lives on the job since 2003.

The analysis revealed jobs in electricity, gas, water and waste services are becoming more deadly after that industry jumped from ninth place in 2015 to fifth in the latest list.

Mining has dropped one place to the seventh most dangerous profession.

A massive 69 per cent of all fatalities in the country occurred in the top three most dangerous industries.

Australia's most dangerous jobs have been revealed

Finder.com.au’s insights manager Graham Cooke said even if an industry doesn’t see many fatalities per year, compensation claims for serious injuries and illnesses are “still indicative of safety risks”.

“Although industries like mining and construction are known for being potentially dangerous, it’s the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry that has been at the top of the list for three years running.

“The health care and social assistance industry saw the highest amount of compensation claims in 2016, but luckily only four fatalities.”

Mr Cooke added that sole traders and independent contractors weren’t covered under worker’s compensation like regular employees are, so employees in those industries should consider income protection “for an added safety net”.

The research follows a slew of horrific recent workplace accidents in the most dangerous professions.

Just yesterday a West Gippsland farmer made headlines after riding his motorbike to get help while holding his head upright by his hair after breaking his neck on his property.

Earlier this month two brothers died in a workplace incident inside a molasses tank and in December, a man died after becoming trapped inside an ink tank following a worksite accident at a manufacturing company in Sydney’s west.

Also in December, a NSW woman lost a large part of her scalp in an accident at a shearing shed and a construction worker was killed while operating a cherry picker at a site on the Gold Coast.

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Originally published as Agriculture, forestry and fishing named as nation’s riskiest industry for third year running