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NAME OF COLLECTION
Workers' Compensation Statistical Collection, Tasmania

Contact
Senior Statistician
Rehabilitation and Compensation Branch
Employer and Employee Services Division
Workplace Standards Tasmania
Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, Tasmania
PO Box 56
ROSNY PARK TAS 7018

Telephone: Hobart 03 6233 2024
Facsimile: Hobart 03 6233 8338
Email: Myrna.McHugh@dier.tas.gov.au
Web site: <http://www.wst.tas.gov.au>

Purpose
The Tasmanian workers' compensation statistical collection is an ongoing collection incorporating data processed from workers' compensation claims received by the Workplace Safety Board of Tasmania from licensed insurers, self-insurers, and exempt employers. Records are classified to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) Class level, which facilitates extraction of data specific to the mining industry.

Its main objectives are to:

• assist the Workplace Safety Board of Tasmania in the effective administration of the Tasmanian workers' compensation scheme by keeping up-to-date information on workers' compensation claims and workers' compensation insurance policies;
• provide a timely and reliable tool, from a quantitative perspective, for monitoring the Tasmanian workers' compensation scheme performance in the areas of occupational health and safety, workers' compensation, return to work and development of workplace standards; and
• provide advice, based on sound measurable outcomes, on issues of strategic significance to users of workers' compensation data.

There are approximately 170,000 workers covered by Tasmanian workers' compensation arrangements. There was an average of approximately 20,000 claims each year from 1989-90 to 1994-95. From 1996-97 to 1997-98, there was an average of approximately 15,000 claims each year. Claim numbers declined further in the following years with an average of approximately 12,000 claims reported between 1998-99 and 2000-01.

Main data detail
Some of the data items available for the mining industry are:

• claims lodged;
• fatalities;
• lost time injuries:
• all claims frequency rate (the number of claims lodged per million hours worked); and
• lost time injury frequency rate (the number of lost time injuries per million hours worked).

• occupation of workers;
• gender of workers;
• age of workers;
• nature of injury;
• part of body injured;
• location; and
• mechanism of injury.

Frequency of data availability
Mines/quarries/energy sector data are published quarterly and annually.

Reference period
The collection is ongoing. Statistical reports are produced mainly on the basis of lodgement period, either rolling 12-month periods for each quarter ending September, December, March and June or annually (i.e. financial year ending June).

Historical data
Data are available from 15 November 1988, when the original Workers' Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Tas.) was introduced.

Products and services
Publications
The following reports may be obtained from Workplace Standards Tasmania, Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, PO Box 56, Rosny Park Tasmania 7018, or telephone 1300 366 322:

• Workers' Compensation Quarterly Statistical Report
• Workplace Issues
• Workplace Safety Board of Tasmania Annual Report
• Workplace Standards Tasmania Annual Report

• The above publications may also be found on Workplace Standards Tasmania's web site at <http://www.wst.tas.gov.au>.
• Special data services may be available on request on a fee-for-service basis, but are subject to confidentiality restrictions.