Sprains and strains most common work-related injury claim

In 2009, sprains and strains were the most common work-related injuries that resulted in a claim to the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), Statistics New Zealand said today. Provisionally, 94,400 claims were made for sprain and strain injuries, which accounted for 44 percent of all work-related injury claims. This is considerably higher than the number of claims for any other type of work-related injury and is consistent with the trend from 2002 to 2008.

In 2009, entitlement claims made up 13 percent of all work-related claims. Sprain and strain injuries accounted for 37 percent of these. Work-related injury claims are those made to the ACC for injuries occurring while a worker is at work or travelling to and from work. Claims that involve entitlement payments provide compensation and support for the injured person and include payment for treatment, weekly compensation, rehabilitation, or death.

Males consistently make more claims for work-related injuries than females. Males made more than 70 percent of work-related claims between 2002 and 2008. In each of these years, males also had a claim rate about twice that of females. Following this trend, provisional 2009 data shows males lodged 71 percent of all work-related claims, and claimed for work-related injuries at a rate 1.9 times higher than females (142 and 73 claims per 1,000 full-time equivalent employees, respectively).

Workers aged 35–44 years consistently made the most claims for work-related injury in all years from 2002 to 2007. However, in 2008 workers aged 45–54 made 600 more claims than those aged 35–44 (51,100 claims, 22 percent of all claims). Collectively, workers aged 35–54 represented 45 percent of all work-related claims made in 2008. Similarly, provisional 2009 data showed workers aged 35–54 years were responsible for a total of 46 percent of all claims for work-related injury.

Taking into account the different number of workers in each occupation group, four groups consistently make more work-related injury claims than others. These are the elementary occupations, plant and machine operators and assemblers, trades workers, and agriculture and fishery workers groups. Provisionally, these occupation groups also have the highest claim rates for work-related injury in 2009, and account for 58 percent of all work-related claims. 

Geoff Bascand 19 October 2010

Government Statistician