The wider Hawkes Bay area has been shamed by recent government statistics after it was revealed the region is the worst in New Zealand when it comes to workplace injuries.
Accident Compensation Corporation's (ACC) most recent figures show there were 13,000 workplace injury claims in 2015 in the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions - 54 each business day.
The statistics also show that there were 151 injuries per 1,000 full-time equivalent employees – the equivalent to one injury claim for every six and a half workers.
While the numbers might seem disappointing at first, the wider Hawkes Bay area can actually take solace in the fact that they’ve also showed a marked improvement with 200 fewer injury claims than the previous year.
The number of serious harm incidents reported to ACC has also dropped significantly over the last few years and 137 were recorded in 2015 compared to 282 in 2012.
WorkSafe spokesman Brett Murray said he hoped the figures would serve as a safety reminder because standards and habits can sometimes slip over the summer break.
"Summer does create some new or add additional risks, especially those who are working long days as dehydration and fatigue can lead to potentially fatal accident," said Murray.
"I encourage each workplace in New Zealand to start the year by discussing health and safety and taking positive steps, such as discussing workplace risks with teams, checking personal protective equipment, including hearing protection, safety glasses or face shields.”
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