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Workers' Compensation in Western Australia
Annual Statistical Report
2010/11 to 2013/14
July 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
WorkCover WA
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Perth, Western Australia: Western Australian Government
Any queries or comments on this publication should be directed to:
Business Intelligence Services Branch
Legislation and Scheme Information Division
WorkCover WA
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (08) 9388 5555
Fax: (08) 9388 5550
© WorkCover WA, Government of Western Australia
This publication is available at the WorkCover WA website:
www.workcover.wa.gov.au
Published by the Western Australian Government
Publication date: July 2015
WorkCover WA is the government agency responsible for overseeing the WA workers' compensation and injury
management system. WorkCover WA undertakes a range of educational, advisory, enforcement and performance
monitoring activities to ensure the WA workers' compensation scheme is fair, accessible and cost-effective for all
participants.
WorkCover WA produces a range of statistical reports which detail various aspects of the WA workers' compensation
scheme. These include:
• Scheme Quarterly Status Report
• Insurer Claim Quarterly Status Report
• Medical, Allied Health and Vocational Rehabilitation Services Status Report.
These reports are available on the WorkCover WA website at:
workcover.wa.gov.au/resources/research-evaluation-statistics/statistical-reports/
Citation
WorkCover WA
There is no objection to this publication being copied in whole or part, provided there is due acknowledgment of any material
quoted from the publication.
WorkCover WA 2 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
The Western Australian workers' compensation scheme
Western Australia operates a privately underwritten workers' compensation scheme. This means that private insurance
agencies are approved to provide workers' compensation insurance to WA employers.
There are currently eight approved insurers operating within the WA workers' compensation scheme. The Insurance
Commission of WA (ICWA) is also an insurer in WA, providing workers' compensation insurance for government
agencies. In addition, WorkCover WA exempts employers who have the material and financial resources to cover
their own liabilities from any workplace injuries/diseases that may occur, from having to obtain workers' compensation
from an approved insurer. Exempt employers are commonly referred to as self-insurers. In 2013/14, there were 27
self-insurers within the WA workers' compensation scheme.
The role of insurers within the WA workers' compensation scheme is to:
• underwrite the risk of claim liabilities
• calculate and collect premiums within certain parameters set by WorkCover WA
• manage claims including injury management and in many cases return to work programs.
Figure 1 below provides an overview of claims within the WA workers' compensation scheme for 2013/14 and outlines
the scope of this statistical report. For the purposes of this report, only work-related injury and disease
claims (highlighted in beige boxes) are reported.
Figure 1: Profile of workers' compensation claims in the WA workers' compensation scheme in 2013/14
Introduction
workers’ compensation claims lodged
Asbestos related diseases, journey
claims and disallowed claims
work related injury and disease
claims lodged
work related injury and disease claims lodged
claims with no lost-time
claims with lost-time
lost-time claims lodged
lost-time disease claims
lost-time injury claims
36,876
1,314
35,562
35,562
18,605
16,957
16,957
1,416 15,541
WorkCover WA 3 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Geographic distribution of lost-time claims in Western Australia
Region Proportion of
claims
Metropolitan 64.4%
Pilbara 8.9%
South West 7.0%
Wheatbelt 3.8%
Peel 3.7%
Goldfields-Esperance 3.5%
Midwest 3.0%
Great Southern 2.9%
Kimberley 2.3%
Gascoyne 0.5%
Introduction
In 2013/14, a total of 35,562 work-related injury and disease claims were lodged, of which 16,957 claims involved time lost
from work of one day/shift or more, while 18,605 claims did not result in any loss of time.
This annual statistical report focuses on lost-time claims as they have larger economic impact on the WA workers'
compensation scheme than those without lost-time.
The map illustrates the geographic distribution of lost-time claims across Western Australia in 2013/14. The Perth
metropolitan area had the highest number of lost-time claims (64.4%), followed by the Pilbara (8.9%) and the South West
region (7.0%). This pattern is reflective of population and employment density in Western Australia.
WorkCover WA 4 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Where does the data come from?
Table 1: Summary of national classification standards to code workers' compensation data
Where do I obtain more information?
About this report
Workers’ Compensation in Western Australia Annual Statistical Report
WorkCover WA’s annual statistical report is designed to provide stakeholders with an understanding of overall activity and key
trends within the WA workers’ compensation scheme.
The report contains four key sections which provides information about:
(i) workers' compensation premium rates
(ii) scheme statistics (includes claim numbers, payments, claim management and return to work)
(iii) claimant characteristics (age, gender, industry, occupation)
(iv) injury and disease attributes (includes level of incapacity, nature and bodily location of injury/disease).
WorkCover WA collects data from approved insurers and self-insurers about all workers’ compensation claims lodged in the
WA scheme. For the purposes of this report, this includes data from all current and former approved insurers, self-insurers
and ICWA.
WorkCover WA applies national classification standards to claims data supplied by insurers to obtain information about injury
and disease attributes, industries where injuries and diseases occurred and occupations of claimants. Table 1 provides a
summary of these classifications.
Workers’ compensation and injury management
WorkCover WAworkcover.wa.gov.auTelephone: 08 9388 55552 Bedbrook Place
Prevention of work-related injuries and diseases
WorkSafe WAcommerce.wa.gov.au/worksafe Telephone: 1300 307 877Level 1, Mason Bird Building
303 Sevenoaks St Cannington WA 6107
WorkCover WA 5 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Contents
Page
Introduction 3
Overview 7
Report format 8
Section 1: Premium rates
1.0 Summary 9
1.1 Average recommended premium rates 10
1.2 Average actual premium rates 11
Section 2: Scheme statistics
2.0 Summary 12
2.1 Claim numbers 13
2.2 Claim payments 15
2.3 Claim costs 17
2.4 Claim management 19
2.5 Dispute of claims 23
2.6 Settlements 24
Section 3: Claimant characteristics
3.0 Summary 25
3.1 Gender 26
3.2 Age 28
3.3 Industry 30
3.4 Occupation 32
Section 4: Injury/disease attributes
4.0 Summary 3334
4.1 Level of incapacity 34
4.2 Nature of injury 35
4.3 Bodily location 36
4.4 Mechanism 37
4.5 Agency of occurrence 38
Section 5: Ageing workforce
5.0 Summary 39
5.1 Claim numbers and frequency rates 40
5.2 Days lost and claim costs 41
5.2 Industry and occupation 42
5.3 Injruy/disease attributes 43
6.0 Glossary 44
7.0 References 48
8.0 Disclaimer 49
WorkCover WA 6 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Overview
Summary
Recommended Premium Rates
The recommended premium rates in WA for 2015/16 fell by 4.7%, continuing the downward trend since 2000/01. The average recommended rate for 2015/16 reduced to 1.48% of total wages, down from 1.56% of total wages in 2014/15. The decrease is largely due to continued wages growth in WA and a reduction in claim numbers. In line with the recommended premium rates, the average actual premium rates have been steadily decreasing since 2000/01.
Claim activity
Between 2010/11 and 2013/14, the number of claims (both lost-time and no lost-time claims) fell by 5.7%. The decrease is primarily driven by an 8% reduction in the number of claims with no lost-time. During the same reference period, the lost-time frequency rate decreased from 9.2 to 7.8 claims per million hours worked. On the other hand, adjusted (real) claim payments, comprising direct compensation and service payments, continued to rise since 2010/11. Direct compensation (e.g. income payment) accounted for 66.8% of the total claim payments, while service payments made up the remaining 33.2% in 2013/14.
Claim management
Timeframes for both claim lodgement by employers and decision making on liabilities by insurers have improved. However, it has taken longer for insurers to finalise income claims, increasing from an average of 9.9 months in 2010/11 to 10.5 months in 2013/14.
The 'Return to work indicator' shows that the proportion of lost-time claimants who successfully returned to work has increased. In 2013/14, 78.9% of workers with lost-time claims had returned to work either at full or partial capacity, which is a 4% increase from 2010/11.
Disputes and Settlements
There were 1,945 dispute applications accepted in 2013/14 and the disputation rate has slightly increased from 2.5 to 3.1 disputes per 100 active claims. Consistent with previous years, a higher proportion of claims were finalised by way of Memorandum of Agreements than Section 92(f) deeds. The proportion of claims finalised by Section 92(f) deeds and Memorandum of Agreements have both increased over the past four years.
Claimant Characteristics
Claimant demographics showed that the proportion of lost-time claims between males and females were consistent over the past four years. The size of the gender gap has remained stable reflecting the continued gender disparity in labour force participation. In 2013/14, the number of claims lodged by male workers was twice that of females, and the frequency rate of lost-time claims for male workers was 17.8% higher than female workers. Workers in the 15-19 and 60-64 year age groups had the highest frequency rate of lost-time claims between 2010/11 and 2013/14.
Construction, Health care and social assistance, Manufacturing, Mining, and Education and training accounted for more than 50% of lost-time claims lodged in 2013/14. The industries with the highest frequency rate were Arts and Recreation Services, followed by Agriculture, Manufacturing, Health care and social assistance, and Construction. Workers in blue collar occupations, such as Technicians and trade workers, Labourers, and Machinery operators and drivers, incurred the highest number of lost-time claims in 2013/14.
Injury/disease attributes
In 2013/14, the most common type of work-related injury/disease was sprains and strains (i.e. traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injuries). The most common causes of work-related injuries in 2013/14 were body stressing (physical stress on muscles, tendons and ligaments) and falls, trips and slips occurring on the lower and upper limbs or trunk of the body.
WorkCover WA 7 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Timeframe and standards for reporting of data
Ageing workforce
Report format
Section 1: Premium Rates
For average recommended premium rates, data is reported between 1993/94 and 2015/16.
For average actual premium rates, data is reported between 1993/94 and 2013/14.
For both average recommended and actual premium rates, emphasis is placed on the four most recent years.
Western Australia’s workforce is ageing. Between 2005/06 and 2013/14, while the total number of employees increased
by 24%, the number of employees in the older age band (55+) increased by 38%. During the same reference period, the
proportion of older workers in the workforce increased from 12.6% to 15.5%.
The Workers’ Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981 was amended in October 2011 to remove all age based
restrictions on entitlements. The changes to the Act mean injured workers aged 65 years and older are able to access
workers’ compensation on the same terms as all other injured workers.
A feature section is included in this report to assist with understanding the trends in ageing workforce and relevant claim
statistics, and establishing incidence prevention and injury management strategies.
As outlined in the Introduction, this report profiles key activities within the WA workers' compensation scheme in four key
sections: premium rates, scheme statistics, claimant characteristics and injury/disease attributes.
Section 4: Injury/disease attributes
For lost-time claims, data is presented between 2010/11 and 2013/14.
Injury/disease attributes data is classified according to Type of Occurrence Classification System (TOOCS) 3rd edition
published by Australian Safety and Compensation Council.
Section 2: Scheme Statistics
Data is reported between 2010/11 and 2013/14 for both finalised and unfinalised claims.
As claims develop over time, there is a higher proportion of unfinalised claims in the most recent financial year
(2013/14p). The 'p' indicates preliminary data for this year.
Claims data is this section is derived from data supplied by insurers and exempt employers in accordance with the
Q2 specification which can be found on WorkCover WA's website at www.workcover.wa.gov.au
Section 3: Claimant characteristics
Data is reported between 2010/11 and 2013/14 for lost-time claims only.
Industry classification is based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC)
system 2006. The ANZSIC system published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics which groups together businesses
that carry out similar economic activities and is structured into a hierarchy of units reflecting different levels of
description.
Occupational classification is based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations
(ANZSCO). These occupational classifications published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics are a skill based
classification which encompasses all occupations in the Australian and New Zealand workforce.
WorkCover WA 8 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Section 1: Premium rates
Summary
Overview
Every year, WorkCover WA determines the recommended premium rates, taking into account the latest available data on claims experience provided by insurers, as well as broader economic factors such as movements in wages, employment rate, interest rates and inflation.
In April 2015, WorkCover WA announced a 4.7% decrease in recommended premium rates for 2015/16 in Western Australia, causing the average recommended rate to fall from 1.56% of total wages for 2014/15 to 1.48% of total wages for 2015/16.
The decrease is largely driven by:
wage growth in excess of wage inflation;
a decrease in claim numbers for 2013/14 and in the half year to 31 December 2014;
lower rate of growth of claims with more than 60 days lost;
a decrease in the future rate of inflation.
Between 1999/00 and 2013/14, the average recommended premium rates reduced by 46.1%, from 3.09% of total wages to 1.67% of total wages. Over the same period, the average actual premium rate decreased from 2.52% of total wages to 1.42% of total wages.
1)
Pre
miu
m r
ate
s
WorkCover WA 9 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Trend^
1.1.0 Average recommended premium rates
1.691 1.668 1.556 1.483
7.8 -1.4 -6.7 -4.7
^ Legend:
1.1.1 Average recommended premium rates - 1993/94 to 2015/16
Section 1: Premium rates
Average recommended premium rates
Premium rates
Average recommended premium
rates (% of payroll)
Annual change in average
recommended premium rate (%)
1.1.2 Annual change in average recommended premium rates - 1994/95 to 2015/16
Increasing Stable Decreasing
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
3.234 2.830 2.759 2.469 2.235 2.545 3.092 2.970 2.630 2.470 2.340 2.250 2.317 2.117 1.849 1.582 1.738 1.497 1.569 1.691 1.668 1.556 1.483
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
% o
f P
ayro
ll
Year ending 30 June
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
-12.5 -2.5 -10.5 -9.5 13.9 21.5 -3.9 -11.4 -6.1 -5.3 -3.8 3.0 -8.6 -12.7 -14.4 9.9 -13.9 4.8 7.8 -1.4 -6.7 -4.7
-15.0
-10.0
-5.0
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
% A
nnual C
hange
Year ending 30 June
WorkCover WA 10 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 Trend^
1.2.0 Average actual premium rates
1.41 1.35 1.40 1.42
0.0 -2.1 -4.3 3.7
^ Legend:
Section 1: Premium rates
Average actual premium rates
Premium rates
Average actual premium rates (%
of payroll)
Annual change in average actual
premium rate (%)
1.2.1 Average actual premium rates - 1993/94 to 2013/14
1.2.2 Annual change in average actual premium rates - 1994/95 to 2013/14
Increasing Stable Decreasing
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Actual 2.98 2.9 2.58 2.49 2.28 2.09 2.52 2.51 2.39 2.30 2.16 1.93 1.88 1.91 1.60 1.44 1.44 1.41 1.35 1.40 1.42
Recommended 3.23 2.83 2.76 2.47 2.24 2.55 3.44 2.97 2.73 2.47 2.34 2.25 2.32 2.12 1.85 1.58 1.74 1.50 1.57 1.69 1.67
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
% o
f P
ayro
ll
Year ending 30 June
Actual Recommended
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Actual -2.7 -11.0 -3.5 -8.4 -8.3 20.6 -0.4 -4.8 -3.9 -6.1 -10.3 -2.8 1.6 -16.2 -10.0 0.0 -2.1 -4.3 3.7 1.4
Recommended 5.0 -12.5 -2.5 -10.5 -9.5 13.9 21.5 -3.9 -11.4 -6.1 -5.3 -3.8 3.0 -8.6 -12.7 -14.4 9.9 -13.9 4.8 7.8
-20.0
-15.0
-10.0
-5.0
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
% A
nnual C
hange
Year ending 30 June
WorkCover WA 11 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
* See Glossary for definition and explanation
Claims information presented in this section refer to both finalised and unfinalised claims. As claims develop over time,
there is a higher proportion of unfinalised claims in the most recent financial year (2013/14p). The 'p' indicates preliminary
data for this year.
The information presented on claims data refers to the financial year in which the claim was lodged with the insurer. This
may not be in the same financial year in which the injury/disease actually occurred.
Explanatory notes:
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Summary
2)
Sc
he
me
Sta
tis
tic
s
Overview
Between 2010/11 and 2013/14, the number of claims decreased by 5.7%. Claims with no lost-time fell by 8%, while the number of lost-time claims decreased by 3%. During the same reference period, the lost-time frequency rate decreased by 16%, from 9.2 to 7.8 claims per million hours worked. The proportion of long duration claims (60 days or more lost-time) has steadily increased. Over the past four years, long duration claims accounted for 27% of all lost-time claims.
Total adjusted (real) claim payments, consisting of direct compensationand service payments, increased by 20.6% in the reference period. This is largely due to an increase in the number of lost-time claims, especially long duration claims.
Direct compensation payments (e.g. income payment and lump sum)consistently accounted for more than 60% of total claim payments. Except for common law payments, other forms of direct compensation payments slowly increased between 2010/11 and 2013/14. All service payments (e.g. medical and hospital, allied health and vocational rehabilitation) remained stable over the four year period.
A decrease in claim lodgement time, combined with increasing percentage of liability decisionsmade within the required timeframe, indicate an overall improvement in early claims management by employers and insurers. However, it has taken longer for insurers to finalise claims, increasing from an average of 9.9 months in 2010/11 to 10.5 months in 2013/14.
Continuance rates (the number of claimants receiving weekly payments at different claim development periods or three, six and twelve months) remained stable. On average, the three, six and twelve months continuance rates were around 66%, 47% and 29% respectively. Of all lost-time claims lodged in 2013/14, 78.9% of workers had returned to work either at full or partial capacity, which is a 4% increase from 2010/11.
There were 1,945 dispute applications accepted in 2013/14. The disputation rate has slightly increased from 2.5 to 3.1 disputes per 100 active claims. Consistent with previous years, a higher proportion of claims were finalised by way of Memorandum of Agreements than Section 92(f) deeds. The proportion of claims finalised by way of Section 92(f) deeds and Memorandum of Agreements rose over the past four years.
WorkCover WA 12 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
2.1.0 Number of claims* by days lost
0 days 20,223 20,561 19,428 18,605
1 - 4 days 4,584 4,633 4,313 3,685
5 - 19 days 5,362 5,408 5,402 4,705
20 - 59 days 3,230 3,457 3,364 3,210
60 - 119 days 1,573 1,588 1,668 1,861
120 - 179 days 716 775 760 1,066
180+ days 2,022 2,286 2,407 2,430
Total 37,710 38,708 37,342 35,562
^ Legend:
* See Glossary for definition and explanation
* Data for claim numbers and costs is subject to revision as claims mature.
2.1.1 Number of claims lodged by lost-time
Scheme statistics
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Claim numbers
Increasing Stable Decreasing
37,710 38,708 37,342
35,562
20,223 20,561 19,428 18,605
17,487 18,147 17,914 16,957
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Num
ber
of cla
ims
Insurer received year
Total
No lost-time
Lost-time claims
WorkCover WA 13 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2.1.3 Frequency rate* of lost-time claims
2.1.4 Percentage of lost-time* claims by days lost group
2.1.5 Percentage of lost-time claims by days lost group 2010/11 to 2013/14p
* See Glossary for definition and explanation
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Claim numbers
75.3% 74.4% 73.0%68.4%
24.7% 25.6% 27.0%31.6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
% o
f lo
st tim
e c
laim
s
Insurer received year
1-59 days lost
60+ days lost
24.4%
29.6%
18.8%
9.5%
4.7%
13.0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
1-4 days
5-19 days
20-59 days
60-119 days
120-179 days
180+ days
% of lost-time claims
Num
ber
of days lo
st
9.2 8.9
8.5 7.8
7.0 6.6
6.2
5.3
2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Cla
ims p
er
mill
ion h
ours
work
ed
Insurer received year
Grand Total
1-59 days lost
60+ days lost
WorkCover WA 14 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
2.2.0 Claim payments* (unadjusted)
Direct compensation* ($m)
Income payment 241.99 269.63 314.85 353.13
Lump sum - excl common law 109.81 132.45 156.82 193.60
Common law payment 78.34 68.57 58.03 62.26
Service payments* ($m)
Medical and hospital 98.41 113.86 118.06 126.95
Allied health & vocational rehabilitation 60.98 68.33 74.80 81.09
Legal & miscellaneous payment 72.71 80.84 85.25 95.08
Total 662.22 733.68 807.80 912.11
2.2.1 Claim payments* (adjusted)
Direct compensation ($m)
Income payment 279.50 293.62 324.30 357.01
Lump sum - excl common law 126.83 144.24 161.52 195.73
Common law payment 90.48 74.67 59.77 62.94
Service payments ($m)
Medical and hospital 113.66 123.99 121.60 128.34
Allied health & vocational rehabilitation 70.43 74.42 77.04 81.99
Legal & miscellaneous payment 83.98 88.04 87.81 96.13
Total 764.87 798.98 832.04 922.14
^ Legend:
2.2.2 Total claim payments (adjusted) by payment type group
* See Glossary for definition and explanation
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Claim payments
Scheme statistics
Increasing Stable Decreasing
764.9799.0
832.0
922.1
496.8 512.5545.6
615.7
268.1 286.4 286.4 306.5
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
$ m
illio
ns
Transaction year
Total
Direct compensation
Service Payment
WorkCover WA 15 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2.2.3 Percentage of claim payments by payment type group
2.2.4 Percentage of claim payments by payment type - Direct compensation
2.2.5 Percentage of claim payments by payment type - Service payments
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Claim payments
65% 64% 66% 67%
35% 36% 34% 33%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
% o
f cla
im p
aym
ents
Transaction year
Direct compensation
Service payment
56% 57%59% 58%
26%28% 30%
32%
18%15%
11% 10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
% o
f cla
im p
aym
ents
Transaction year
Income payment
Lump sum - excl commonlaw
Common law payment
42% 43% 42% 42%
26% 26% 27% 27%
31% 31% 31% 31%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
% o
f cla
im p
aym
ents
Transaction year
Medical and hospital
Allied health & vocationalrehabilitation
Legal & miscellaneouspayment
WorkCover WA 16 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
2.3.0 Claim costs*
Claim costs by days lost ($m)
1 - 4 days 12.7 16.3 27.2 18.3
5 - 19 days 39.3 46.1 44.2 38.0
20 - 59 days 67.7 72.6 75.6 80.5
60 - 119 days 71.1 75.4 83.1 103.3
120 - 179 days 52.2 59.3 63.0 97.7
180+ days 390.6 462.6 490.0 407.6
Total 633.7 732.2 783.1 745.3
Average claim costs by days lost ($)
1 - 4 days 2,771 3,512 6,301 4,968
5 - 19 days 7,333 8,533 8,175 8,069
20 - 59 days 20,966 20,988 22,482 25,070
60 - 119 days 45,196 47,471 49,834 55,507
120 - 179 days 72,908 76,514 82,860 91,606
180+ days 193,183 202,359 203,583 167,743
Total 36,236 40,351 43,714 43,953
^ Legend:
2.3.1 Costs of lost-time claims by days lost
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Claim costs
* Data for claim numbers and costs is subject to revision as claims mature.
Scheme statistics
Increasing Stable Decreasing
633.7
732.2783.1
745.3
513.9
597.3636.1
608.6
119.7 135.0 147.0 136.7
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
$ m
illio
ns
Insurer received year
Total
60+ days lost
1-59 days lost
WorkCover WA 17 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2.3.2 Percentage of claim costs by days lost
2.3.3 Percentage of claims and costs by days lost 2010/11 to 2013/14p
2.3.4 Percentage of claims and costs by days lost 2010/11 to 2013/14p
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Claim costs
72.8%
27.2%
18.6%
81.4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
1-59 days 60+ days
% o
f cla
ims / c
osts
Number of days lost
Claims
Costs
24.4%
29.6%
18.8%
9.5%
4.7%
13.0%
2.6%
5.8%
10.2%
11.5%
9.4%
60.5%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
1-4 days
5-19 days
20-59 days
60-119 days
120-179 days
180+ days
% of claims / costs
Num
ber
of days lo
st
Claims
Costs
18.9% 18.4% 18.8% 18.3%
81.1% 81.6% 81.2% 81.7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
% o
f cla
im c
osts
Insurer received year
1-59 days lost
60+ days lost
WorkCover WA 18 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
2.4.0 Claim management
Average time between employer receiving claim and lodging with insurer (days)
All income claims 5.5 5.0 5.0 4.8
Percentage (%) of liability decisions* made within the required time
All income claims 93.9 94.3 95.6 95.4
Average time between lodgement of claim with insurer and initial finalisation of claim (months)
All income claims 9.9 10.0 10.3 10.5
^ Legend:
2.4.1 Average time between employer receiving claim and lodging with insurer (days) - income claims
* See Glossary for definition and further explanation
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Claim management
Scheme statistics
Increasing Stable Decreasing
5.5
5.0 5.0 4.8
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Num
ber
of days
Insurer received year
WorkCover WA 19 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2.4.2 Percentage of liability decisions* made within the required time - income claims
2.4.3 Average time between lodgement of claim with insurer and initial finalisation of claim (months) - income claims
* See Glossary for definition and explanation
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Claim management
93.9 94.3 95.6 95.4
0
20
40
60
80
100
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
% o
f in
com
e c
laim
s
Insurer received year
9.9 10.0 10.3 10.5
5.0
7.0
9.0
11.0
13.0
15.0
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Num
ber
of m
onth
s
Finalisation year
WorkCover WA 20 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
2.4.4 Continuance rates*
Number of claims receiving weekly payments
one month after claim lodgement 6,141 6,621 6,742 6,616
Number of claims receiving weekly payments
three months after claim lodgement 4,080 4,307 4,444 4,500
Number of claims receiving weekly payments six
months after claim lodgement 2,924 3,156 3,155 3,164
Number of claims receiving weekly payments
twelve months after claim lodgement 1,802 2,006 2,111 n/a^
Three-month continuance rate* 66.4% 65.1% 65.9% 68.0%
Six-month continuance rate* 47.6% 47.7% 46.8% 47.8%
Twelve-month continuance rate* 29.3% 30.3% 31.3% n/a^
^ Legend:
2.4.5 Continuance rates 2009/10 - 2013/14p
* See Glossary for definition and further explanation
^ The twelve-month continuance rate for 2013/14 was not available (less than 12 months from data snapshot).
Scheme statistics
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Claim management
Increasing Stable Decreasing
66.4% 65.1% 65.9%68.0%
47.6%47.7% 46.8% 47.8%
29.3% 30.3%31.3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Contin
uance r
ate
%
Insurer received year
Three-Month Continuance Rate
Six-Month Continuance Rate
Twelve-Month Continuance Rate
WorkCover WA 21 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
2.4.6a Work Status* (as at 31 January 2015)
All claims (no lost-time and lost-time)
Maintained at work 51.2% 50.4% 49.0% 49.1%
Returned to work (full or partial hours) 34.7% 35.4% 36.3% 37.6%
Not working 12.8% 12.8% 13.0% 11.8%
Return to work status unknown 1.3% 1.4% 1.7% 1.5%
2.4.6b Return to Work Status* (as at 31 January 2015)
Lost-time claims
Returned to work (full or partial hours) 74.8% 75.4% 75.6% 78.9%
Not working 23.4% 23.0% 22.6% 19.7%
Return to work status unknown 1.8% 1.6% 1.8% 1.4%
2.4.8 Return to Work Status - lost-time claims lodged 2013/14p
* See Glossary for definition and further explanation
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Claim management
Scheme statisticsClaim lodgement year
2.4.7 Work Status - all claims lodged 2013/14p
49.0%
32.9%
3.4%
11.3%
1.8%
1.7%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Maintained at work
Return to work - full hours
Return to work - partial hours
Not working - injury related
Not working - other reason
Return to work status unknown
% of claims
68.6%
7.1%
19.7%
2.9%
1.8%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Return to work - full hours
Return to work - partial hours
Not working - injury related
Not working - other reason
Return to work status unknown
% of claims
WorkCover WA 22 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12* 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
2.5.0 Disputes
Number of disputes lodged 1,864 n/a 1,612 1,945 n/a*
Disputation rate 3.1% n/a 2.5% 3.1% n/a*
^ Legend:
* Data for 2011/12 is excluded due to the legislative change for conciliation and arbitration functions on 1 December 2011.
Given the differences between the old and new systems, the dispute data across the four year period is not comparable. For this
reason, the trend of dispute activities is not analysed.
2.5.1 Number of disputes lodged
2.5.2 Disputation rate
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Disputes
Scheme statistics
Increasing Stable Decreasing
1,864
1,612
1,945
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2010/11 2011/12* 2012/13 2013/14p
Num
ber
of dis
pute
s
Dispute application year
3.1%
2.5%
3.1%
0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
4.0%
2010/11 2011/12* 2012/13 2013/14p
Dis
puta
tio
n r
ate
Financial year
WorkCover WA 23 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
2.6.0 Settlements
Settlements as a proportion of finalised claims
Memorandum of Agreements 9.4% 9.6% 9.8% 10.0%
Section 92(f) deeds 3.1% 3.6% 4.2% 4.8%
Total 12.5% 13.2% 14.0% 14.8%
Settlement payments as a proportion of finalised claim payments
Memorandum of Agreements 9.6% 11.1% 11.5% 13.0%
Section 92(f) deeds 13.6% 14.5% 12.7% 12.9%
Total 23.2% 25.5% 24.2% 25.9%
^ Legend:
2.6.1 Settlements as a proportion of finalised claims
2.6.2 Settlement payments as a proportion of finalised claim payments
Section 2: Scheme statistics
Settlements
Scheme statistics
Increasing Stable Decreasing
9.4% 9.6% 9.8% 10.0%
3.1%3.6%
4.2%4.8%
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Sett
lem
ent ra
te
Finalisation year
Memorandum ofAgreements
Section 92(f) deeds
9.6%11.1% 11.5%
13.0%
13.6%14.5%
12.7% 12.9%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Pro
port
ion o
f fin
alis
ed c
laim
paym
ents
Finalisation year
Memorandum ofAgreements
Section 92(f) deeds
WorkCover WA 24 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Information presented in this section refers to both finalised and unfinalised claims. Given that claims develop over time, there
is a higher proportion of unfinalised claims in the most recent financial year (2013/14p). The 'p' indicates preliminary data for
this year.
Industry
Industry classifications are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) published
by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). From 1 July 2009, a new ANZSIC version (2006) was used to classify industries.
Occupation
Occupational classifications are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO)
published by the ABS and used from 1 July 2009 to code occupations.
Explanatory notes:
Claims
Section 3: Claimant characteristics
Summary
3)
Cla
ima
nt
ch
ara
cte
ris
tic
s
Overview
Similar to previous years, males have higher number of claims and claim frequency rates than females. In 2013/14, the proportion of claims for males and females were 67% and 33% respectively. Over the pastfour year, the frequency rate for male workers decreased by 17% and for female workers, the frequency rate decreased by 12.6%.
Between 2010/11 to 2013/14, the age group with the highest number of claims were the 45-54 year age group, followed by the 35-44 year age group. However, the highest frequency rate of lost-time claims were attributable to 15-19 and 60-64 year age groups for the same reference period.
The risks associated with different industries are evident in the number of claims and frequency rates. In 2013/14, the highest number and proportion of lost-time claims were associated with manual labour and high risk industries such as Construction (15.5%), Health care and social assistance (14.1%), Manufacturing (12.1%) and Mining (8.7%). Industries with the highest frequency rates in 2013/14 were Arts and recreation services, Agriculture, forestry and fishing and Manufacturing.
Technicians and trades workers, Labourers and Machinery operator and drivers accounted for 64.4%
of lost-time claims in 2013/14. In contrast, white collar workers occupied the lowest proportion of claims, for example Sales workers (5.1%), Clerical and administrative workers (4.3%) and Managers (2.6%).
WorkCover WA 25 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
3.1.0 Number of lost-time claims by claimant gender
Male
1 - 4 days 3,043 3,156 2,834 2,389
5 - 19 days 3,747 3,792 3,689 3,219
20 - 59 days 2,284 2,447 2,388 2,199
60 - 119 days 1,088 1,077 1,157 1,286
120 - 179 days 444 488 496 691
180+ days 1,213 1,390 1,496 1,557
Total 11,819 12,350 12,060 11,341
Female
1 - 4 days 1,541 1,477 1,479 1,295
5 - 19 days 1,615 1,616 1,713 1,486
20 - 59 days 946 1,010 976 1,010
60 - 119 days 485 511 511 575
120 - 179 days 272 287 264 375
180+ days 809 896 911 873
Total 5,668 5,797 5,854 5,614
^ Legend:
3.1.1 Number of lost-time claims by claimant gender
Section 3: Claimant characteristics
Gender
Claimant characteristics
Increasing Stable Decreasing
11,819 12,350 12,060
11,341
5,668 5,797 5,854 5,614
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Num
ber
of lo
st-
tim
e c
laim
s
Insurer received year
Male
Female
WorkCover WA 26 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
3.1.2 Frequency of lost-time claims by claimant gender
3.1.3 Proportion of lost-time claims by gender 2010/11 to 2013/14p
Section 3: Claimant characteristics
Gender
10.0 9.8 9.1
8.3
8.0 7.6 7.5
7.0
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Fre
quency r
ate
Insurer received year
Male
Female
69%65%
31%35%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
1-59 days lost 60+ days lost
% o
f lo
st-
tim
e c
laim
s
Days lost
Male
Female
WorkCover WA 27 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
3.2.0 Number of lost-time claims by age group
15 - 19 years 1,004 1,034 868 743
20 - 24 years 1,935 1,933 1,959 1,653
25 - 34 years 3,536 3,782 3,853 3,662
35 - 44 years 3,914 4,095 3,911 3,619
45 - 54 years 4,313 4,335 4,223 4,222
55 - 59 years 1,506 1,630 1,604 1,684
60 - 64 years 982 1,024 1,112 1,020
65+ years 288 309 375 351
3.2.1 Frequency rate by age group
15 - 19 years 10.9 11.4 9.6 9.3
20 - 24 years 9.2 8.6 8.6 7.3
25 - 34 years 7.6 7.5 7.0 6.4
35 - 44 years 9.0 8.9 8.1 7.3
45 - 54 years 10.5 9.6 9.3 9.0
55 - 59 years 10.0 9.6 9.5 9.6
60 - 64 years 10.5 11.5 11.1 9.9
65+ years 9.4 8.2 10.1 8.0
^ Legend:
3.2.2 Total number of lost-time claims by age group 2010/11 to 2013/14p
Section 3: Claimant characteristics
Age
Claimant characteristics
Increasing Stable Decreasing
3,649
7,480
14,833 15,539
17,093
6,424
4,138
1,323
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-59 60-64 65+
Num
ber
of lo
st-
tim
e c
laim
s
Age group
WorkCover WA 28 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
3.2.3 Frequency rate of lost-time claims by age group 2010/11 to 2013/14p
3.2.4 Percentage of lost-time claims by age group 2010/11 to 2013/14p
Section 3: Claimant characteristics
Age
89%84%
77%
71%67% 66% 66% 66%
11%16%
23%
29%33% 34% 34% 34%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-59 60-64 65+
% o
f lo
st-
tim
e c
laim
s
Age group
1-59 days lost 60+ days lost
10.3
8.4
7.1
8.3
9.6 9.7
10.7
8.9
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-59 60-64 65+
Fre
quency r
ate
Age group
WorkCover WA 29 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Claimant characteristics 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
3.3.0 Number of lost-time claims by industry
Accommodation and food services 745 895 852 789
Administrative and support services 396 429 324 358
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 618 627 581 531
Arts and recreation services 422 444 405 413
Construction 2,572 2,725 2,733 2,624
Education and training 1,323 1,258 1,289 1,246
Electricity, gas, water and waste services 187 189 210 197
Financial and insurance services 57 59 49 52
Health care and social assistance 2,475 2,455 2,509 2,393
Information media and telecommunications 62 43 50 52
Manufacturing 2,611 2,641 2,463 2,048
Mining 1,152 1,395 1,534 1,474
Other services 481 489 452 520
Professional, scientific and technical services 271 349 282 311
Public administration and safety 692 716 748 771
Rental, hiring and real estate services 216 176 213 180
Retail trade 1,466 1,288 1,333 1,186
Transport, postal and warehousing 1,132 1,235 1,168 1,126
Wholesale trade 609 734 712 668
Grand Total 17,487 18,147 17,907 16,939
3.3.1 Percentage of lost-time claims by industry 2013/14p
Section 3: Claimant characteristics
Industry
0.3%
0.3%
1.1%
1.2%
1.8%
2.1%
2.4%
3.1%
3.1%
3.9%
4.6%
4.7%
6.6%
7.0%
7.4%
8.7%
12.1%
14.1%
15.5%
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18%
Information media and telecommunications
Financial and insurance services
Rental, hiring and real estate services
Electricity, gas, water and waste services
Professional, scientific and technical services
Administrative and support services
Arts and recreation services
Other services
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Wholesale trade
Public administration and safety
Accommodation and food services
Transport, postal and warehousing
Retail trade
Education and training
Mining
Manufacturing
Health care and social assistance
Construction
% of lost-time claims
WorkCover WA 30 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
3.3.2 Frequency rate of lost-time claims by industry 2013/14p
Section 3: Claimant characteristics
Industry
15.3
13.5
12.5
12.4
10.9
10.3
9.4
7.8
7.7
7.0
6.6
6.5
6.3
5.9
5.3
3.8
3.7
2.9
1.9
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Arts and recreation services
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Manufacturing
Health care and social assistance
Construction
Transport, postal and warehousing
Wholesale trade
All industry average
Education and training
Accommodation and food services
Retail trade
Public administration and safety
Other services
Mining
Electricity, gas, water and waste services
Administrative and support services
Rental, hiring and real estate services
Information media and telecommunications
Professional, scientific and technical services
Frequency rate
WorkCover WA 31 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Claimant characteristics 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
3.4.0 Number of lost-time claims by occupation
Technicians and trades workers 4,621 4,874 4,866 4,413
Labourers 4,150 4,162 3,992 3,561
Machinery operators and drivers 2,749 3,201 3,102 2,945
Community and personal service workers 2,599 2,542 2,610 2,610
Professionals 1,354 1,374 1,398 1,378
Sales workers 950 806 820 864
Clerical and administrative workers 690 733 682 727
Managers 374 455 437 441
Total 17,487 18,147 17,907 16,939
3.4.1 Percentage of lost-time claims by occupation 2013/14p
Section 3: Claimant characteristics
Occupation
2.6%
4.3%
5.1%
8.1%
15.4%
17.4%
21.0%
26.1%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Managers
Clerical and administrative workers
Sales workers
Professionals
Community and personal service workers
Machinery operators and drivers
Labourers
Technicians and trades workers
% of lost-time claims
WorkCover WA 32 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
• Agency of injury/disease
Information presented in this section refers to both finalised and unfinalised claims. Given that claims develop over time,
there is a higher proportion of unfinalised claims in the most recent financial year (2013/14p). The 'p' indicates preliminary
data for this year.
• Mechanism of injury/disease
Section 4: Injury/disease attributes
Summary
• Nature of injury/disease
• Bodily location of injury/disease
Injury/disease classifications
Claims
Explanatory notes:
• For the indicator relating to work-related fatalities, both no lost-time and lost-time injury and disease claims are reported.
• For all other indicators, only lost-time injury and lost-time disease claims are reported.
Safe Work Australia's Type of Occurrence Classification System, 3rd edition revision 1 (TOOCS v3) is used to describe
attributes of work-related injuries and diseases sustained by workers who lodge workers' compensation claims. Since
1 July 2009, TOOCS v3 has been used to classify the following:
Overview
Between 2010/11 and 2013/14, around 80% of work-related injuries and diseases resulted in temporary incapacity for claimants. Injuries resulting in permanent incapacity (total or partial) steadily decreased during the same period.
Over the past four years, 91.8% of lost-time claims resulted from work-related injuries, with the remaining 8.2% arose out of work-related diseases. Traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injuries are the most common causes for injuries/diseases, accounting for 56.3% of all lost-time claims in 2013/14.
In 2013/14, the predominant causes of work-related injuries/diseases are due to:
body stressing (39.0%)
falls, trips and slips (23.8%)
being hit by moving objects (19.9%).
Injuries predominantly occurred to the upper limbs (35.5%), followed by lower limbs (24.2%) and trunk of the body (21.4%). 4
) In
jury
/dis
ease a
ttri
bu
tes
WorkCover WA 33 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
4.1.0 Number of lost-time claims by level of incapacity*
Temporary Incapacity 13,441 14,062 14,171 13,826
Permanent incapacity - Partial 3,778 3,861 3,594 2,830
Permanent incapacity - Total 252 196 87 34
No incapacity at any time 16 27 60 262
Total 17,487 18,146 17,912 16,952
^ Legend:
* The incapacity data excludes work-related fatalities. Given insurers usually report the incapacity status when a claim is
finalised, the data is presented to 2011/12 in this report to allow an additional year lag for the claims to mature.
4.1.1 Percentage of lost-time claims by level of incapacity* 2010/11 to 2013/14p
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Trend^
4.1.2 Number of work-related fatalities
Work-related fatalities 32 18 31 28
4.1.3 Number of work-related fatalities 2010/11 to 2013/14p
Injury attributes
Section 4: Injury/disease attributes
Level of incapacity
Injury attributes
Increasing Stable Decreasing
78.7%
19.9%
0.8%
0.5%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Temporary Incapacity
Permanent incapacity - Partial
Permanent incapacity - Total
No incapacity at any time
% of lost-time claims
32
18
3128
0
10
20
30
40
50
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Num
ber
of w
ork
-rela
ted f
ata
litie
s
Insurer received year
WorkCover WA 34 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
4.2.0 Number of lost-time claims by nature of injury/disease
Lost time injury 16,012 16,722 16,449 15,541
Traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injury 9,505 9,921 9,905 9,541
Wounds, lacerations, amputations and internal organ damage 3,921 3,931 3,637 3,482
Fractures 1,564 1,772 1,897 1,658
Other injuries 548 607 472 421
Burn 357 399 411 314
Intracranial injuries 117 92 127 125
Lost time disease 1,475 1,425 1,465 1,416
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases 527 530 571 486
Mental diseases 490 412 443 494
Digestive system diseases 225 233 208 181
Nervous system and sense organ diseases 112 121 120 118
Skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases 59 67 64 55
Infectious and parasitic diseases 20 24 24 38
Other diseases 21 18 17 26
Respiratory system diseases 11 13 9 12
Circulatory system diseases 10 7 9 6
4.2.1 Percentage of lost-time claims by nature of injury/disease 2013/14p
Injury attributes
Section 4: Injury/disease attributes
Nature
56.3%
20.5%
9.8%
2.9%
2.9%
2.5%
1.9%
1.1%
0.7%
0.7%
0.3%
0.2%
0.2%
0.1%
0.0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injury
Wounds, lacerations, amputations and internal organ damage
Fractures
Mental diseases
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases
Other injuries
Burn
Digestive system diseases
Intracranial injuries
Nervous system and sense organ diseases
Skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Other diseases
Respiratory system diseases
Circulatory system diseases
% of lost-time claims
WorkCover WA 35 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
4.3.0 Number of lost-time claims by bodily location of injury/disease
Upper limbs 6,208 6,551 6,447 6,014
Lower limbs 3,852 4,103 4,192 4,108
Trunk 4,116 4,212 4,014 3,633
Multiple/unspecified locations 1,386 1,435 1,451 1,442
Head 1,049 1,028 982 922
Non physical locations 490 412 443 494
Neck 296 294 286 262
Systemic locations 90 112 99 82
Total 17,487 18,147 17,914 16,957
4.3.1 Percentage of lost-time claims by bodily location of injury/disease 2013/14p
Section 4: Injury/disease attributes
Bodily location
Injury attributes
35.5%
24.2%
21.4%
8.5%
5.4%
2.9%
1.5%
0.5%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Upper limbs
Lower limbs
Trunk
Multiple/unspecified locations
Head
Non physical locations
Neck
Systemic locations
% of lost-time claims
WorkCover WA 36 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
4.4.0 Number of lost-time claims by mechansim of injury/disease
Body stressing 6,800 7,065 6,972 6,618
Falls trips and slips of a person 3,952 4,195 4,179 4,028
Being hit by moving objects 3,720 3,821 3,650 3,371
Hitting objects with a part of the body 1,390 1,368 1,425 1,293
Other and unspecified mechanisms of incident 456 509 499 535
Mental stress 482 411 443 489
Heat electricity and other environmental factors 302 384 375 277
Chemicals and other substances 287 306 275 248
Biological factors 67 71 71 77
Sound and pressure 31 17 25 21
Total 17,487 18,147 17,914 16,957
4.4.1 Percentage of lost-time claims by mechanism of injury/disease 2013/14p
Section 4: Injury/disease attributes
Mechanism
Injury attributes
39.0%
23.8%
19.9%
7.6%
3.2%
2.9%
1.6%
1.5%
0.5%
0.1%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Body stressing
Falls trips and slips of a person
Being hit by moving objects
Hitting objects with a part of the body
Other and unspecified mechanisms of incident
Mental stress
Heat electricity and other environmental factors
Chemicals and other substances
Biological factors
Sound and pressure
% of lost-time claims
WorkCover WA 37 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
4.5.0 Number of lost-time claims by agency of injury/disease
Non powered handtools appliances and equipment 4,023 4,227 4,115 3,896
Environmental agencies 3,815 4,036 4,100 3,953
Materials and substances 3,126 3,156 2,962 2,807
Mobile plant and transport 1,548 1,760 1,751 1,594
Animal human and biological agencies 1,650 1,618 1,655 1,611
Other and unspecified agencies 1,286 1,264 1,327 1,333
Powered equipment tools and appliances 955 992 991 903
Machinery and mainly fixed plant 848 865 805 672
Chemicals and chemical products 236 229 208 188
Total 17,487 18,147 17,914 16,957
4.5.1 Percentage of lost-time claims by agency of injury/disease 2013/14p
Section 4: Injury/disease attributes
Agency
Injury attributes
23.3%
23.0%
16.6%
9.5%
9.4%
7.9%
5.3%
4.0%
1.1%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Environmental agencies
Non powered handtools appliances and equipment
Materials and substances
Animal human and biological agencies
Mobile plant and transport
Other and unspecified agencies
Powered equipment tools and appliances
Machinery and mainly fixed plant
Chemicals and chemical products
% of lost-time claims
WorkCover WA 38 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Overview
Number of WA employees in the older age group
Workers' compensation
• understanding trends in relation to the ageing workforce
• forming incidence prevention and injury management strategies.
Profile of claims by age groups - 2013/14p
This section provides information regarding the extent and characteristics of lost-time claims
lodged by older workers. This information assists:
Western Australia’s workforce is ageing. Between 2005/06 and 2013/14, while the total number of
employees increased by 24%, the number of employees in the older age band (55+) increased by
38%. During the same reference period, the proportion of older workers in the workforce
increased from 12.6% to 15.5%.
The Workers’ Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981 was amended in October 2011 to
remove all age based restrictions on entitlements. The changes to the Act mean injured workers
aged 65 years and older are able to access workers’ compensation on the same terms as all
other injured workers.
Between 2010/11 and 2013/14, the total number of lost-time claims decreased by 3%. However,
the number of lost-time claims in the older age group increased by 9%. Although the incidence
and frequency rates of the older workers have improved over the past four years, statistics show
that workers in the older age group tend to have longer claim durations.
Section 5: Ageing workforce
Summary
5)
Ag
ein
g w
ork
forc
e
-
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
Older (55+)
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Younger (15-34) Mid (35-54) Older (55+)
Proportion of WA employees by age group
Younger (15-34) Mid (35-54) Older (55+)
Number of claims 6,058 7,841 3,055
Average claim cost $31,257 $51,056 $50,930
Average days lost 55 88 95
Frequency rate 6.9 8.1 9.5
WorkCover WA 39 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Total
Number of lost time claims by age group
Younger (15-34) 6,475 6,749 6,680 6,058 25,962
Mid (35-54) 8,227 8,430 8,134 7,841 32,632
Older (55+) 2,776 2,963 3,091 3,055 11,885
All lost-time claims 17,478 18,142 17,905 16,954 70,479
Proportion of lost-time claims by age group - 2010/11 - 2013/14p
Section 5: Ageing workforce
Claim numbers and frequency rates
Frequency rate of lost-time claims by age group - 2010/11 - 2013/14p
Although the number of claims lodged by workers aged 55 or more are relatively low, this "older" age group consistently
had a higher frequency rate than the overall lost-time claims. Between 2010/11 and 2013/14, the overall frequency rate
decreased by 18%. By contrast, the frequency rate for the older age group decreased by only 6%. Further analysis shows
that within the older age group, claimants aged between 60 and 64 had the highest frequency rate over the past four
years.
10.1 10.0 10.1 9.5
9.2 8.9 8.57.8
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Fre
quency r
ate
Insurer received year
Older (55+) All
10.0 9.6 9.5 9.610.5
11.5 11.19.99.4
8.2
10.1
8.0
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Fre
quency r
ate
Insurer received year
55-59 60-64 65+
Younger (15-34)36%
Mid (35-54)46% 55-59
10%
60-646%
65+2%
Older (55+)18%
Between 2010/11 and 2013/14, the total
number of lost-time claims steadily decreased,
whereas the number of claims in the older age
group increased by 9%. During the same
reference period, around 18% of all workers'
compensation lost-time claims were associated
with workers in the older age group. On
average, only 2% of lost-time claims were
associated with workers over 65 years of age.
WorkCover WA 40 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p Total
Average days lost by age group
Younger (15-34) 47 51 55 55 52
Mid (35-54) 85 90 91 88 89
Older (55+) 85 93 93 95 92
All lost-time claims 71 76 78 78 76
Average days lost by age group - 2010/11 to 2013/14p
Average days lost by all age bands - 2010/11 to 2013/14p
Average claim cost by age group - 2010/11 to 2013/14p
Average claim cost by all age bands - 2010/11 to 2013/14p
Section 5: Ageing workforce
Days lost and claim costs
While the older age group tends to have a
longer claim duration, this age group has
an average claim cost slightly lower than
the middle age group. Between 2010/11
and 2013/14, the average claim cost for the
middle age group was $49,246 compared
with $49,062 for the older age group.
During the same reference period, the 45-
54 and 55-59 age groups had the highest
average claim cost of just over $50,000.
Overall, the average claim cost shows a
similar trend to the average claim duration
across all age groups.
Between 2010/11 and 2013/14, the
younger age group consistently had the
lowest average days lost. During the
same reference period, the older age
group had a slightly higher average days
lost than the middle age group, with 92
days and 89 days respectively.
In general, as workers age, the duration
of claims tend to be longer. The average
claim duration increased with worker’s
age until the 55-59 age group, then
reduced in the 60-64 and 65+ age
groups.
47 51 55 55
85 90 91 888593 93 95
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Insurer received year
Younger (15-34)
Mid (35-54)
Older (55+)
31 43
61
85 92 95 90 80
15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-59 60-64 65+
Age bands
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14p
Younger (15-34) $22,704 $25,347 $29,440 $31,257
Mid (35-54) $44,608 $48,821 $52,634 $51,056
Older (55+) $43,097 $50,492 $51,202 $50,930
$0
$15,000
$30,000
$45,000
$60,000
15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-59 60-64 65+
Age bands
WorkCover WA 41 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Frequency rate by industry in the older age group - 2013/14p
Proportion of lost-time claims by industry in the older age group - 2013/14p
Proportion of lost-time claims by occupation - 2013/14p
Section 5: Ageing workforce
Industry and occupation
Overall, workers in the older age group
tend to have a higher frequency rate. In
2013/14, the industres with the highest
frequency rate in the older age group
were Arts and recreation services
(23.0), followed by Health care and
social assistance (18.0) and
Construction (12.7).
23.0
18.0
12.7
11.9
11.1
Arts and recreation services
Health care and social assistance
Construction
Manufacturing
Education and training
Between 2010/11 and 2013/14, the
number of lost-time claims in the older
age group increased by 9%. In
2013/14, there were 3,055 lost-time
claims lodged by the older age group.
Health care and social assistance
accounted for 23% of the lost-time
claim, followed by Education and
training (13%) and Construction
23%
13%
10%
8%
8%
Health care and social assistance
Education and training
Construction
Manufacturing
Transport, postal and warehousing
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Technicians andtrades workers
Labourers Machineryoperators and
drivers
Community andpersonal service
workers
Professionals Sales workers Clerical andadministrative
workers
Managers
Younger (15-34) Mid (35-54) Older (55+)
In the younger age group, Technicians and trades workers, Labourers and Machinery operators and drivers accounted
for 75% of lost-time claims in 2013/14. In contrast, these occupations only occupied 54% of lost-time claims in the older
age group. Statistics show that claimants in the older age group had a higher proportion of white collar workers
compared to the younger age group.
WorkCover WA 42 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Frequency rate by nature of injury - 2013/14p
Younger (15-34) Mid (35-54) Older (55+)
Sprains and strains 3.2 4.8 5.7
Wounds, contusions, bruising 1.9 1.4 1.6
Fractures 0.8 0.7 1.0
Diseases (includes cancer and other diseases) 0.3 0.5 0.4
Mental conditions 0.1 0.3 0.3
Other injuries 0.6 0.4 0.4
Proportion of lost-time claims by nature of injury in the older age group
Frequency rate by age group - Mechanism of injury 2013/14p
Younger (15-34) Mid (35-54) Older (55+)
Body stressing 2.3 3.5 3.8
Falls, trips and slips of a person 1.4 1.9 3.0
Being hit by moving objects 1.8 1.4 1.3
Hitting objects with a part of the body 0.7 0.5 0.5
Mental stress 0.1 0.3 0.3
Other and unspecified mechanisms of incident 0.5 0.5 0.6
Section 5: Ageing workforce
Injury/disease attributes
Sprains and strains61%Wounds,
contusions, bruising17%
Fractures10%
Diseases (includes cancer and other
diseases)5%
Mental conditions4% Other injuries
4%
The 2013/14 claim data showed that as
workers age, the tendency (frequency rate) of
having a sprains and strains injury increased.
The proportion of lost-time claims by nature
of injury/disease in the older age group was
similar to the overall scheme figures. In
2013/14, 61% of lost-time claims lodged by
the older age group were associated with
sprains and strains, followed by wounds,
contusion, bruising (17%) and fractures
(10%).
Body stressing40%
Falls, trips and slips of a person
32%
Being hit by moving objects
14%
Hitting objects with a part of the
body5%
Mental stress4%
Other and unspecified mechanisms of incident
6%
Similar to other age groups, body stressing
had the highest frequency rate for the older
workers. However, the 2013/14 data showed
that this group of workers had a much higher
tendency of lost-time injury caused by falls,
trips and slips. On the other hand, the older
workers had a lower frequency rate in relation
to injury caused by being hit by moving
objects.
In 2013/14, 40% of the older claimants had a
work-related injury caused by body stressing,
followed by falls, trips and slips (32%) and
Proportion of lost-time claims by mechanism of injury in the older age
WorkCover WA 43 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
TERM
Accident year
Act
Age
Agency of
occurrence
Average cost
Bodily location
Body stressing
Claimant
Claim costs
Claims data
Claim management
Claim payments
Information pertaining to workers’ compensation claims is reported to WorkCover WA by approved
insurers and self-insurers. Information is collated based on the financial year in which a claim was
lodged with the insurer. For the purposes of this report, certain types of claims were excluded:
• lost time journey claims between home and work
• asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis
• duplicated or disallowed (by an insurer).
It should be noted that claim numbers are subject to revision as claims experience matures; this is
especially true for more recent years.
Section 6: Glossary
DEFINITION / EXPLANATION OF TERM
Accident year refers to the financial year in which the work-related injury/disease occurred or when
symptoms of the work-related illness or disease were first recognised, irrespective of when the claim
was reported, paid or finalised.
Refers to the Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981 .
Based on chronological age (in years) at the date of injury/disease.
The agency of occurrence refers to the object, substance or circumstance that was principally involved
in or most closely associated with the point at which things started to go wrong and which ultimately led
to the most serious injury/disease. A comprehensive list of inclusions and exclusions for this
classification is available from Safe Work Australia Type of Occurrence Classification System 3rd
edition, version 1 (available online at safeworkaustralia.gov.au).
An estimate of costs for unfinalised claims, plus the total cost of finalised claims, divided by the number
of claims. Average cost is attributed to the year in which a claim was lodged and is associated with
claims data.
Identifies the part of the body affected by the most serious injury/disease. A comprehensive list of
inclusions and exclusions for this classification is available from Safe Work Australia Type of
Occurrence Classification System 3rd edition, version 1 (available online at safeworkaustralia.gov.au).
Injuries or disorders that result from stress placed on muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. For
further information refer to Safe Work Australia Type of Occurrence Classification System 3rd edition,
version 1 (available online at safeworkaustralia.gov.au).
Refers to a person who lodges a claim in the WA workers' compensation scheme.
An estimate of costs for unfinalised claims, and total cost of finalised claims attributed to the year in
which a claim was lodged. It should be noted that claim costs are subject to revision as claims
experience matures; this is especially true for more recent years. Claim costs are not adjusted for
inflation.
The Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981 requires:
an employer to lodge a claim with the insurer within five working days of receiving a
claim form and first medical certificate (was three working days up to 30 September 2011).
an approved insurer to give a worker and the respective employer notice of a decision on
a lodged workers' compensation claim (e.g. accepted, disputed or pending) within
14 days.
a self-insurer to give a worker and the respective employer notice of a decision on a
lodged workers' compensation claim within 17 days.
Categories are based on WorkCover WA’s Guidelines for Completing Form WC 101. Claim payments
are in contrast with claims data as they do not reflect liabilities incurred but not yet paid. Claim payment
information is collated based on the financial year during which payment was made, regardless of when
the claim was lodged with the insurer (continued below).
WorkCover WA 44 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
TERM
Service payments:
1. medical and hospital payments:
- hospital expenses (hospital accommodation and hospital treatment)
2. allied health and vocational rehabilitation payments:
3. legal and miscellaneous payments
Common law
payment
Continuance rate
Days lost
Dispute
- vocational rehabilitation payments (comprises payments made under clause 17 (1a)
of Schedule 1 of the Act in respect of counselling, occupational training, work
assessment, aids and appliances)
Section 6: Glossary
DEFINITION / EXPLANATION OF TERM
Claim payments
continued
In this report, claim payments are reported both in adjusted and unadjusted formats. In relation to the
former, payments are adjusted for inflation to allow for meaningful comparisons over time. Payment
type groups are outlined below:
Direct compensation:
1. income payments (payments made for absences from work).
2. lump sum payments (including common law):
- redemption payments made under Schedule 1
- specific injury payments made under Schedule 2
- fatal payments including funeral expenses
- common law and other Acts payments.
- medical practitioner and specialist payments (consultation and treatment expenses
rendered by general practitioners and medical specialists)
- other treatment and appliance payments (comprises payments made under clauses
17(1)(3), (4), (5) and (6) of Schedule 1 of the Act, other than medical and hospital
expenses)
- legal expenses (comprises the cost of legal advice and representation incurred by
approved insurers or exempt employers, witness fees and the costs of these
services incurred by the worker where the approved insurer or exempt employer
is ordered to meet the costs)
- miscellaneous (includes general items that do not fit in any other category, for
example travelling, meals and lodgings, under clause 19 of Schedule 1).
The total economic loss component of a common law settlement or judgement after deduction of
amounts for contingencies and contributory negligence. Includes amounts for pain and suffering,
permanent impairment, loss of superannuation, legal expenses and future medical costs.
Monitors claims over time from the date a claim was lodged with an insurer. The continuance rate
shows the number of claims involving weekly income replacement payments at three months, six
months and twelve months as a proportion of claims involving weekly income replacement payments at
one month. This indicator provides insight into claim duration and scheme exits.
The number of hours off work divided by the number of hours usually worked each day. If the claim is
finalised, actual hours off work are used, otherwise if the claim is not finalised, estimated hours off work
are used.
A dispute over a workers' compensation claim by parties involved (e.g. insurer, employer, worker). A
dispute can occur at any stage of a claim in relation to a number of matters.
Please note that dispute data reported between 2007/08 and 2010/11 relates to WorkCover WA's
Dispute Resolution Directorate (DRD). The DRD ceased operation on 30 November 2011 and
WorkCover WA's Conciliation and Arbitration Services commenced on 1 December 2011.
WorkCover WA 45 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
TERM
Disputation rate
Disease
Extent of incapacity
Frequency rate
Incidence rate
Industry
Injury
Journey claims
Liability confirmation
period
Lodgement year
Long duration claims
Lost time claims
Mechanism of
injury/disease
Nature of
injury/disease
The number of lost time claims per million hours worked and indicates the prevalence of workers’
compensation claims. It is based on the number of hours worked by employed persons in Western
Australia as supplied by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Section 6: GlossaryDEFINITION / EXPLANATION OF TERM
The number of dispute applications as a proportion of all active claims for the reference year.
Subsection 5(1) of the Act defines disease as including any physical or mental ailment, disorder, defect,
or morbid condition whether of sudden or gradual development. (See also Injury).
The outcome of the injury or disease as assessed by the insurer and the treating doctor. Categories
include:
temporary incapacity
permanent incapacity - partial
permanent incapacity - total.
The incidence rate is the number of lost time claims per hundred employees (part-time, full-time,
casual, and seasonal) in Western Australia.
Industry classification is based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification
(ANZSIC) 2006 , published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The ANZSIC system groups together
businesses that carry out similar economic activities and is structured into a hierarchy of units reflecting
different levels of description (available at abs.gov.au)
Injury is defined under subsection 5(1) of the Act as:
1. A personal injury by accident arising out of or in the course of employment or while acting on the
employer’s instructions.
2. A disabling industrial disease (for example, poisoning, lung disease).
3. A disease contracted in the course of employment or the recurrence or aggravation
of a pre-existing disease where the employment contributed to a significant degree (see also
Disease).
Up to 24 December 1993, workers' compensation claims could be lodged for injuries sustained while
travelling to and from work. Journey claims have since been excluded from claims data.
The number of calendar days between the date the claim was lodged with the insurer and the first date
on which the insurer made a confirmation (accepted or rejected) about liability for the claims.
The financial year in which the claim was lodged with the insurer.
Workers' compensation claims for which the injury/disease results in an absence from work of at least
60 days or shifts.
Lost time claims are claims for which the injury/disease results in an absence from work of at least one
day or shift.
The mechanism of injury/disease refers to the action, exposure or event that best describes the
circumstances that resulted in the most serious injury or disease. The full list of inclusions/exclusions
for this classification is available from Safe Work Australia's Type of Occurrence Classification System
3rd edition, revision 1 (available online at safeworkaustralia.gov.au)
The nature of injury or disease classification is intended to identify the most serious injury or disease
suffered by the worker. The full list of inclusions/exclusions for this classification is available from Safe
Work Australia Type of Occurrence Classification System 3rd edition, revision 1 (available online at
safeworkaustralia.gov.au)
WorkCover WA 46 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
TERM
Occupation
Pending claims
Work status
DEFINITION / EXPLANATION OF TERM
Section 6: Glossary
Occupational classification is based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of
Occupations (ANZSCO) published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
It is a skill-based classification which encompasses all occupations in the Australian workforce
(available at abs.gov.au).
Where a decision to accept or decline liability for a worker's compensation claim is extended by an
insurer until further information is obtained (e.g. medical information).
This indicator provides a snapshot, as at 31 January 2014, of the work status of claimants with claims
lodged between 2010/11 and 2012/13. A lag period is required before reporting this indicator so that
claims have developed sufficiently to provide meaningful information.
Worker As defined in Section 5 of the Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981, a worker is
defined as:
(a) any person to whose service any industrial award or industrial agreement applies; and
(b) any person engaged by another person to work for the purpose of the other person's trade or
business under a contract with him for service, the remuneration by whatever means of the person
so working being in substance for his personal manual labour or services.
WorkCover WA 47 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification
2006 . Canberra; Commonwealth of Australia 2006
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of
Occupations . Canberra; Commonwealth of Australia 2006
Safe Work Australia, Type of Occurrence Classification System 3rd edition revision 1 . Canberra:
Commonwealth of Australia 2008
Section 7: References
WorkCover WA 48 Data as at 31 January 2015
Workers' Compensation in Western Australia - Annual Statistical Report 2010/11 to 2013/14
1
2
3
4
5 Information concerning the accuracy and appropriate uses of the data or concerning other workers’
compensation data may be obtained by contacting WorkCover WA.
Section 8: Disclaimer
Due to the dynamic nature of workers’ compensation claims, the interpretation of data contained within this
report (the data) must be undertaken with some caution. Data users are cautioned to consider carefully the
provisional nature of the data before using it for decisions that concern personal or public safety or the conduct
of business that involves substantial monetary or operational consequences.
The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way. WorkCover WA has made a
reasonable effort to ensure that the data is up-to-date, accurate, complete, and comprehensive at the time of
disclosure. This data reflects data reported to this agency by insurers for the reporting periods indicated. Data
users are responsible for ensuring by independent verification its accuracy, currency or completeness.
Neither WorkCover WA, or its agencies or representatives are responsible for data that is misinterpreted or
altered in any way. Derived conclusions and analysis generated from this data are not to be considered
attributable to WorkCover WA.
This data is provided as is and in no event shall WorkCover WA, its agencies or representatives be liable for any
damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from lost data or lost profits or revenue, the costs of
recovering such data, the costs of substitute data, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special,
incidental, punitive or consequential damages, arising out of the use of the data.
WorkCover WA 49 Data as at 31 January 2015