The Australian chemistry sector continues to advance its outstanding safety record with a 2.7 per cent improvement of its key performance metric from last year according to the 2018 Health & Safety Performance Report released by Chemistry Australia today.

The rate of injuries continues to fall across the chemistry sector with the industry’s 5-year rolling average of Lost Time Injuries down from 3.39 in 2017 to 3.30 in 2018, which is ahead of the industry’s long-term reduction target of 3.51 for 2018. 

Chemistry Australia’s 2018 Health and Safety Performance Report confirms the sector has improved its health and safety results for the 15^th consecutive year and no fatalities have been recorded by the industry for six years.

Chemistry Australia CEO Samantha Read said the chemistry industry remains one of the safest sectors in Australia and leads the chemistry industry worldwide in health and safety performance.

“As the third-largest manufacturing sector and a major contributor to the economy, the Australian chemistry industry places the highest emphasis on the safety of its workforce,” said Ms Read.

“Our members are continually looking for new ways to improve their workplace health & safety performance, which is why this annual Report is so valuable.”

“With health and safety data from our sector going right back to 2000, our members benefit every year from sharing insights from the Report with their peers and by learning from industry best practice.”

“We’re very proud of the results and thank our members for their continued leadership and commitment to workplace health and safety.”

2018 Chemistry Australia Health & Safety Report – Key Highlights

• The report covers 13,977 employees nationally and 29.18 million hours worked
• The sector has reduced its frequency of Lost Time Injuries 15 years in a row (based on a five-year rolling average) from 3.39 in 2017 to 3.30 in 2018, which is a 2.7 per cent improvement
• The industry is on track to meet the its 2022 workplace injury reduction target of 30 per cent
• The industry’s Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) has reduced from 2.94 in 2017 to 2.91 in 2018
• Lost Time Injuries (LTIs) resulting from manual handling, falls from the same height and cuts and abrasions continue to be areas requiring further improvement

Download: Chemistry Australia 2018 Health and Safety Performance Report