New research has determined just how much the national workforce is being drained by workplace-related injury and illness.
Australian researchers said that between 2012-2017, the equivalent of 41,000 full-time jobs were lost due to people taking time off work.
An average of 150,000 workers aged 15 to 100 required time off each year.
The types of injuries resulting in the biggest loss of working years were traumatic joint and muscle injuries (40 per cent) and musculoskeletal disorders (20.7 per cent), the researchers said.
Mental health conditions came in third place at 13 per cent.
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“Measuring their impact is important for effective health surveillance, policy development, and resource allocation.”
Researchers also found that the spread of injuries reflected an aging workforce and a greater number of employed men compared to women.
“The burden of working years lost in specific occupations and industries, and by other social and demographic characteristics, should be further investigated to inform future occupational health and workers’ compensation policy,” they said.