Harmful substances kill workers at 10 times the rate of accidents
New Zealand workers die from exposure to harmful substances 10 times more often than from accidents, Worksafe says. About 60 people die each year from accidents at work, but research carried out for Worksafe in 2012 showed that between 600 and 900 die each year from work-related illnesses, the watchdog organisation said.
Chief executive officer Nicole Rosie told a conference in Nelson this week the number one killer was cancer linked to exposure from asbestos.
“Second in there is silicosis, then exposure to [other] hazardous substances and fertilisers fit into this category.
“Also in this area is shift work, and hours of work which are highly co-related with both cancer and heart disease.” The Ministry of Health said asbestos exposure was mainly the result of breathing in air that contained asbestos fibres, including from windblown soil from hazardous waste sites. Ms Rosie said Worksafe had been set three key targets since it was established, including a 25 percent reduction in workplace fatalities, serious harm and time away from work. She said at the moment New Zealand averaged 2.6 deaths per 100,000 workers annually in workplace incidents compared with with 0.5 to 0.8 deaths per 100,000 workers in the UK and 1.5 deaths per 100,000 in Australia.
Ms Rosie said it was not correct that New Zealand had higher risk industries than others.
AAP