Transport and storage industry
report
Information and Evaluation Unit, WHSQ
Transport and storage is high risk
Transport is a high-risk industry in developed economies throughout the world. In Canada, France,
Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom the claim rate in transport is well in excess of the national
average. In Australia, transport and storage is one the most high-risk industries in terms of serious
claims (see Figure 1). In 2009-10, the serious claim rate in transport and storage (24.0) was roughly
double the national average (12.6).
Figure 1: Serious* Injury Claim Rate by Industry, Australia, 2005-06 to 2009-10 (Number)
Source: Safe Work Australia (2011) Comparative Performance Monitoring Report, 12th Edition, Safe Work
Australia, Canberra.
Note: * Serious claims = accepted workers’ compensation claims for temporary incapacity one or more weeks of
compensation plus all claims for fatalities and permanent impairment.
High-risk occupations create a high-risk industry
The high claim rate in transport and storage is attributable, in no small part, to the concentration of
high-risk occupations within this industry. Across Australia, the occupational groups with the highest
serious claim rate are labourers, intermediate production and transport workers and tradespersons
(see Figure 2). These three occupational groups in transport and storage in Queensland comprise
more than half the transport and storage labour force and account for 85 per cent of the sector’s
workers’ compensation claims. The occupational profile of the industry contributes significantly to the
high industry claim rate.
Figure 2: Serious Claims: Incidence Rates, by Occupation, Australia, 2008-09 (preliminary)
Source: SWA (2011), Compendium of Workers’ Compensation Statistics Australia 2008-09.
Falling claim rate during the economic upswing
Some academic research indicates that claim rates tend to increase during the upswing of the
economic cycle and drop during recessions.1 Quite the opposite has occurred in the transport and
storage industry in Queensland. The transport and storage industry in Queensland experienced
strong employment growth in the economic upswing till the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008-09.
Over the course of that period, the serious claim rate in transport and storage declined progressively
in Queensland and Australia as shown in Figure 3. As will be demonstrated below, the falling claim
rate is due primarily to the improved OHS performance in a small number of large businesses.
Asfaw A., Pana-Cryan R. and Rosa R. (2011) ‘The Business Cycle and the Incidence of Workplace Injuries:
Evidence from the U.S.A.’, Journal of Safety Research, 42: 1-8.
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Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
Transport and storage industry report
PN11423
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Figure 3: Transport and Storage, Serious Claims, Incidence Rates by Jurisdiction, 2005-06 to
2009-10 (Number)
Source: Safe Work Australia (2011), Transport and Storage Fact Sheet
The impact of large employers on the claim rate
Transport and storage is an oligopolistic industry with most industry sectors and subsectors
dominated by a single or small number of large businesses. These large businesses generate a
significant proportion of the workers’ compensation claims in the industry. Indeed, some 45 per cent
of all claims in the transport and storage industry in Queensland are generated by 24 businesses.
Only seven businesses account for a third of all workers’ compensation claims in transport and
storage.
The importance of these large businesses is increasing over time. From 2003-04 to 2008-09 there
was significant growth in employing businesses with:
 1 to 19 employees (70 per cent),
 20 to 199 employees (24 per cent) and
 200+ employees (82 per cent).
In contrast, over the same period, the number of self-employed operators rose only marginally (4 per
cent). This growth of larger operators at the expense of smaller operators in recent years is
particularly evident in road freight transport.
So important are these large businesses that a marked reduction in claims in a single business can
directly influence the overall industry claim rate. From 2004-05 to 2008-09, the all accepted injury
claim rate fell 21 per cent. Much of this drop can be attributed to large operators in air rail and space
transport and to a lesser extent road transport. Given the importance of these large businesses to
employment and safety in the industry, partnership safety programs with select large employers has
the potential to improve further the industry-wide claim rate.
Notwithstanding the above, the road transport sector remains an important source of workers’
compensation claims in Queensland. From 2004-05 to 2008-09, the road transport share of industry
claims increased from 39 to 46 per cent. As will be shown below, the road transport-related injuries
represent some of the most severe injuries in the industry.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
Transport and storage industry report
PN11423
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The main injury clusters in the industry
Conventionally, the pattern of injury in an industry is explored by examining the main mechanisms of
injury and agencies of injury. For example, the main mechanisms of injury in most sectors in transport
and storage are muscular stress, falls and vehicle incidents. Similarly, the most common agencies of
injury claims pertain to vehicles (truck, cars, buses and the like) and freight (baggage, crates, cartons
and so on).
An alternative method for examining the pattern of injury in the industry is to cross-tabulate
mechanisms of injury by agencies of injury. The advantage of this approach is that it identifies which
agents are linked to specific injury events. In turn, this analysis allows more targeted interventions to
be developed. Table 1 shows this cross tabulation, for only the most serious injury clusters.2
Table 1
Workdays Lost, Most Common Mechanism by Agency of Injury, Transport and Storage, Qld, 2007-08 (Number of Non-fatal Accepted Claims)
Agency of Injury
Mechanism of Injury
Vehicle Falls From
Muscular
Muscular
Muscular
Falls on
Total
Accident
A Height Stress, Lift
Stress Stress no Same Level
Carry, Put
Handling
Objects
Down
Objects
Handled
Other and not Specified Trucks, Semi-trailers, Lorries
7,931
11,168
320
4,817
1,363
25,599
Other and not Specified Cars, Station Wagons, Vans, Utilities
7,946
82
328
168
8,524
Buses, Trolleybuses, Minibuses
338
321
2
2,553
351
3,565
Crates, Cartons, Boxes, Cases Etc - Cardboard
151
2,487
626
144
3,408
Baggage and Luggage
3,344
1,198
0
4,542
Other and not Specified Traffic and Ground Surfaces
146
2,940
3,086
Agency not Apparent
0
1,877
261
6,778
60
8,976
Total
16,215
11,868
8,030
9,783
6,778
5,026
57,700
Source: QEIDB, 20.3.12, all accepted claims.
note: excludes fatalities, asbestosis and mesothelioma claims. Total workdays lost for transport and storage during 2007-08 was 155,105.
Table 1 shows that there are four serious injury clusters. First, not surprisingly for the transport
industry, an important injury cluster involves vehicle incidents due to trucks, semi-trailers, cars, station
wagons and utilities. The vast majority of these claims involved road traffic incidents (41 per cent) or
commuting claims (48 per cent).
Second, there are a large number of workdays lost due to fall from a height from trucks and semitrailers. There are obvious safety risks to workers climbing out of, into and over these types of
vehicles, many metres off the ground. Given the introduction of fall from height requirement in the
harmonised WHS regulations, a targeted intervention program to assist industry employers to meet
their fall from height obligations may be warranted.
The third injury cluster relates to vehicle-related muscular stress incidents that do not involve lifting,
carrying or putting down of objects. Most of these incidents occur when workers are entering, exiting,
working on or operating trucks and semi-trailers.
Fourth, not unexpectedly, transport and storage workers are at risk of muscular stress injuries
involving lifting, carrying or putting down objects such crates, cartons, boxes, cases, baggage and
luggage.
2
A cross-tabulation was computed with mechanisms of injury on the X axis and agencies of injury on the Y axis.
Any row or column with a low number of values was excluded from the analysis. The resultant cross-tabulation
captures only the most salient mechanisms and agencies of injury for this industry.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
Transport and storage industry report
PN11423
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Three high-risk transport and storage occupations
In transport and storage, there are three high-risk occupational groups with an above-average claim
rate and above-average claim severity: drivers (truck drivers, buses and trams drivers and forklift
drivers), labourers and mobile plant operators.
Drivers, overwhelmingly, are the most common occupational group in the industry. High-risk driver
occupations include truck drivers, bus and tram drivers and forklift drivers. Truck drivers account for
significantly more claims than any other occupation. The most significant injury clusters for truck
drivers include falls from trucks and semi-trailers plus vehicle incidents. Bus and tram drivers, on the
other hand, commonly experience muscular stress injuries associated with the operation of their
vehicles.
Second, there are several high-risk labouring occupations including railway labourers, freight and
furniture handlers, storepersons and miscellaneous labourers. These workers are employed in a wide
range of activities and commonly suffer muscular stress injuries.
The third main high-risk occupation is plant operators (mobile plant operators). The most serious
injury cluster for this occupation is muscular stress injuries due to lifting, carrying and putting down
baggage and luggage.
A small number of employers account for a significant number of claims in some occupations. For
example, about 40 per cent of claims for bus and tram drivers are from a large city council. Nearly a
half of claims for freight and furniture handlers come from three waterfront employers. Most claims for
other mobile plant operators are from two airlines. Roughly a quarter of forklift driver claims originate
from a large transport group of companies. For these occupations, safety initiatives can be targeted
directed to industry sectors and subsectors and select large employers.
Claims for truck drivers and labourers are widely distributed among employers. Only a small number
of employers report more than 20 claims in a year. Accordingly, there is less scope for safety
interventions targeted at select employers for these occupations.
Further, it is important to note that most industries employ transport-related workers. For instance, in
Queensland in 2006 there are 16,278 truck drivers working in the transport and storage industry and
another 13,120 truck drivers working in other industries. As a result, safety initiatives developed for
transport and storage occupations may be suitable for adaptation for a wide range of industries.
Fatalities
For Australia in 2009-10, the fatality rate in transport and storage of 7.8 fatalities per 100,000
employees was much greater than the all industries fatality rate of 1.9.
In Australia, over the recent years, the most common causes of fatality in the transport and storage
industry were vehicle incidents (67 per cent), being hit by objects (seven per cent) and falls from a
height (four per cent).
In Queensland, with the exception of 2007-08, there were between 15 and 18 fatalities per year over
recent years. The majority of fatalities occur in the road freight transport sector. Fatalities in transport
and storage are random events, affecting a discrete cohort of employers each year. It is unusual for a
single employer to report multiple fatalities.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
www.worksafe.qld.gov.au
1300 362 128
The material presented in this publication is distributed by the Queensland Government for information only and is subject to change
without notice. The Queensland Government disclaims all responsibility and liability (including liability in negligence) for all expenses,
losses, damages and costs incurred as a result of the information being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.
© State of Queensland 2017. PN11423.
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Transport and storage industry report
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