An overview of occupational health and safety in Australia.
Australia is a developed country with a high standard of living, small population and large land area. Manufacturing is currently the largest economic contributor, although mining and agriculture are also significant industries. There are around 10 million employees in total, with retail trade and manufacturing being the largest employers. Manufacturing currently has the highest incidence of workplace injury, although around 5% of all Australian workers suffer from some kind of occupational disease or injury every year. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation is individually managed and enforced by the 8 states and territories. Training and registration for OHS professionals varies between the speciaities and usually requires a combination of academic qualifications and workplace experience. Non-medical personnel constitute a large proportion of OHS professionals in Australia.
Smith
Derek Richard
DR
Department of Health Sciences, Yamanashi Medical University, Tamaho, Nakakoma, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
Yamagata
Zentaro
Z
D001315:Australia; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D009787:Occupational Medicine / Q000193:education; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000191:economics; D000078329:Workforce; D017132:Workplace