Safety
Why Are Young Kiwis at Work Suddenly So Much Safer?
Serious workplace injuries to 15-29 year olds have plummeted from 29,790 in 2021 to 10,848 in 2024. That's 19,000 fewer young people hurt at work in just three years. What changed?
Young New Zealanders Were Getting Hurt at Record Rates. Then Something Changed in 2022.
For two decades, serious injuries to under-30s climbed steadily, peaking at 40,086 in 2021. Then the number suddenly halved. Here's what the 24-year timeline reveals.
32,916 Māori Were Seriously Injured Last Year. That's Half What It Was Four Years Ago.
While a single dog attack in Timaru made headlines, ACC recorded 32,916 serious injuries to Māori workers and citizens in 2024. The number has plummeted from 72,756 in 2020, but what's driving the drop remains unclear.
New Zealand Has More Fatal Workplace Injuries Than Ever. And Nobody's Counting
While a dog attack in Timaru made headlines, 312 fatal workplace injuries happened last year. But a data shift in 2022 means we've lost the ability to track whether work is getting safer or deadlier.
New Zealand Records More Than 1,000 Serious Injuries Every Single Day
While dog attacks make headlines, the bigger story is hiding in plain sight. ACC data shows serious non-fatal injuries have climbed to 400,836 in 2024. that's 1,098 Kiwis hurt badly enough to need serious medical intervention every single day.
Compression Syndrome Cases Hit 15-Year High While Serious Injuries Vanish
While total serious workplace injuries have plummeted, one specific injury type. compression syndrome from repetitive strain. just reached its highest level since 2009. Nearly 10,000 Kiwis developed it last year.
New Zealand's Oldest Workers Are Disappearing from Injury Statistics
While dog attacks and food safety make headlines, ACC data shows serious injuries to workers aged 90+ have plummeted 57% since 2021. The number has stayed below 13,000 for three straight years after decades above 28,000.
Kiwis in Their Late 50s Getting Hurt Half as Often as Four Years Ago
Fatal and serious workplace injuries for 55-59 year olds have plummeted from 10,350 in 2020 to 4,734 in 2024. It's the biggest drop in two decades, and it's happening just as this age group approaches retirement.
What Happened to Young New Zealanders Getting Hurt at Work?
While news cycles focus on dog attacks and food recalls, something remarkable is happening beneath the radar: serious workplace injuries to 15-29 year olds have fallen 63% since 2020. The question nobody's asking is why.
Serious Injuries to Young Kiwis Plummeted by 60% in Two Years. Nobody Noticed.
While today's headlines focus on isolated incidents, ACC data reveals something remarkable: serious injuries to under-30s dropped from 40,086 in 2021 to 15,957 in 2024. That's 24,000 fewer young people ending up in hospital or worse.
Māori Workplace Injuries Fell by Half in Two Years. Here's What Changed.
While a Timaru dog attack made headlines today, a quieter story sits in ACC data: serious injuries to Māori workers dropped from 74,934 in 2021 to 32,916 in 2024. That's 42,000 fewer people hurt at work in three years.
New Zealand's Fatal Workplace Injuries Stayed Flat While Serious Injuries Vanished
Three hundred and twelve workers died on the job last year, almost identical to 2023. But the data holds a puzzle: where did 60,000 serious injuries go between 2021 and 2022?
One Dog Attack Made News. 400,836 Serious Injuries Didn't.
A single dog attack in Timaru made national headlines today. Meanwhile, ACC data quietly shows New Zealand recorded more than 400,000 serious non-fatal injuries last year. the highest number in 24 years of records.
Compression Syndrome Cases Just Hit a 15-Year High. Nobody's Talking About It.
While dog attacks and food recalls grab headlines, 9,768 New Zealand workers developed compression syndrome in 2024. That's the highest level since 2009, and it's happening quietly, one desk job at a time.
New Zealand's Oldest Workers Are Getting Hurt Half as Often as Five Years Ago
While today's headlines focus on dog attacks and safety concerns, the data shows a remarkable shift: serious injuries among workers aged 90 and over have plummeted from 28,491 in 2020 to 12,225 in 2024.
New Zealand's 55-Year-Olds Got Half as Likely to Be Seriously Injured at Work
In 2020, over 10,000 workers aged 55-59 suffered serious injuries. Four years later, that number has fallen to 4,734. It's the biggest workplace safety improvement for any age group in two decades.
Young Workers Are Three Times Safer Than They Were Four Years Ago
Fatal and serious injuries among 15-29 year olds have plummeted from 29,790 in 2021 to 10,848 in 2024. The question isn't just what changed - it's whether we can keep it this way.
What Happened to New Zealand's Young Workers in 2022?
Serious injuries to workers under 30 suddenly halved in 2022 and haven't bounced back. The data suggests a fundamental shift in who's working and how they're working. but the story behind it remains unexplained.
Māori Workplace Injuries Fell 56% in Two Years. Then They Stayed Down.
Between 2021 and 2022, serious workplace injuries among Māori workers plummeted from nearly 75,000 to 34,000. Three years later, that number hasn't bounced back. Something fundamental changed.
312 Families Got the Worst Phone Call This Year. That's Six Every Week.
Fatal workplace injuries dropped to their lowest level in decades, but that still means more than six New Zealanders die at work every single week. The numbers are down. The grief is not.
New Zealand Spent 20 Years Getting Workplaces Safer. Then We Gave It All Back in Four.
Serious workplace injuries dropped steadily from 2000 to 2020, falling by 70,000. Since then, they've surged by 38,000. We're now back to injury levels we haven't seen since 2014.
Your Desk Job Is Crushing Your Nerves. 9,768 Kiwis Filed Claims Last Year.
Compression syndrome - carpal tunnel, trapped nerves, repetitive strain - just hit its highest level in 15 years. While dramatic workplace accidents fall, the slow injuries are climbing.
New Zealand's Oldest Workers Are Vanishing from Accident Statistics
Fatal and serious workplace injuries for workers aged 90 and over dropped 57% in two years. The question isn't just what changed at work. It's who's still there.
Older Workers Are Getting Hurt at Work Half as Often as Four Years Ago
Fatal and serious injuries among 55-59 year olds have dropped 54% since 2020, hitting their lowest level in two decades. Yet almost nobody's talking about one of New Zealand's quietest workplace safety wins.
Young Workers Had Their Safest Year Since Records Began
In 2024, just 10,848 workers aged 15-29 suffered serious injuries on the job. That's down 63% from 2021 and the lowest number in 24 years of data. Something fundamental has shifted in how New Zealand protects its youngest workers.
Why Are Young New Zealanders 60% Safer at Work Than They Were Four Years Ago?
Between 2020 and 2024, serious injuries among under-30s at work dropped from 39,297 to 15,957. That's 23,340 fewer young people hurt on the job. What's driving the sharpest safety improvement in two decades?
Māori Workplace Injuries Dropped by Half After 2021. What Changed?
Serious workplace injuries among Māori workers fell from 74,934 in 2021 to 32,916 in 2024. That's a 56% drop in three years. The question nobody's asking: what actually worked?
312 Kiwis Died at Work Last Year. That's Almost One Every Working Day.
Fatal workplace injuries have stabilised at just over 300 deaths annually since 2022. Behind each number is a family that got a knock on the door they'll never forget.
New Zealand Just Had Its Safest Decade for Serious Injuries. Then 2020 Hit.
Between 2010 and 2019, serious non-fatal injuries flatlined at around 360,000 a year. Since 2020, they've jumped 11% to over 400,000. Something changed.
Nearly 10,000 Kiwis Got Compression Syndrome Last Year. In 2021, It Was 6,378.
Compression syndrome - carpal tunnel, trapped nerves, chronic strain - hit its highest level in 15 years in 2024. But three years ago, it was falling. What changed?
New Zealand's Oldest Workers Are Getting Hurt Half as Often as Five Years Ago
Serious injuries among workers aged 90 and over have plummeted from 28,491 in 2020 to 12,225 in 2024. The question nobody's asking: what changed, and why aren't we applying it everywhere else?
New Zealand Just Had Its Safest Year for Workers in Their Late Fifties Since Records Began
Fatal and serious workplace injuries among 55-59 year olds dropped to 4,734 in 2024, down 54% from 2020. But this is where it gets strange: the decline happened during a period when this age group grew significantly in size.
Young Workers Are Half as Safe as They Were Four Years Ago
While Parliament debates racism and insurance companies tally weather damage, a different crisis is unfolding in silence. Fatal and serious injuries among workers aged 15-29 have dropped 63% since 2020, but that's not the victory it seems.
Why Are Young Kiwis Half as Likely to Get Seriously Hurt at Work?
Serious injuries to workers under 30 have plummeted 60% since 2020, dropping from nearly 40,000 cases to under 16,000. The question nobody's asking: what changed?
Māori Workplace Injuries Dropped 55% Since 2021. The Question Is Why Now.
While Parliament erupts over race relations, a data story is unfolding quietly: serious injuries to Māori workers have plummeted from 75,000 to 33,000 in three years. The timing of that shift tells a story nobody's discussing.
312 Workers Died on the Job Last Year. That's One Every 28 Hours.
While Tower Insurance tallies weather claims and politicians trade accusations in Parliament, the workplace safety data shows a grimmer metric: a New Zealand worker dies at work roughly every 28 hours. The number's barely moved in three years.
Tower's Weather Claims Are Surging. So Are Workplace Injuries From Bad Weather.
While Tower expects weather claims to halve its profits, ACC data shows serious workplace injuries have climbed to 400,836 in 2024. The two trends aren't unrelated.
Why Are Nearly 10,000 Kiwi Workers Developing Compression Syndrome Every Year?
While Tower Insurance worries about weather claims halving profits, a quieter crisis is unfolding in New Zealand workplaces. Nearly 10,000 workers developed compression syndrome in 2024. the highest number in 15 years.
Fatal and Serious Injuries to Over-90s Dropped 57% in Two Years. Then Flatlined.
Between 2021 and 2022, serious injuries among New Zealand's oldest citizens plummeted from 29,499 to 12,597. Two years later, that number hasn't budged. Here's the story those years tell.
Late-Career Workers Are Getting Badly Hurt Half as Often as Four Years Ago
Serious workplace injuries for 55-59 year olds have plummeted from over 10,000 in 2020 to fewer than 5,000 today. While New Zealand debates insurance costs after extreme weather, the data shows one corner of the workplace safety picture quietly improving.
The Youngest Workers Had the Worst Safety Record — Until Now
While storms dominate headlines, workplace injury data reveals something remarkable: young Kiwis aged 15-29 are now safer at work than they've been in 24 years. The number of serious injuries has dropped 63% since 2020.
Why Are Young Kiwis Getting Hurt at Work Half as Often as Four Years Ago?
While storm-hit communities wait for help, one crisis has been quietly disappearing. Serious workplace injuries among under-30s have dropped 59% since 2020 — the lowest rate in a generation.
Māori Workplace Injuries Dropped 55% Since 2021 — Here's What Changed
While storms devastate communities, a quieter shift has been happening in workplaces. Serious injuries to Māori workers have plummeted from 75,000 three years ago to under 33,000 today.
Someone Dies at Work in New Zealand Every 28 Hours
While storm cleanup crews work around the clock in Wairarapa and Rangitikei, workplace death data shows what puts responders — and all workers — at risk. Fatal injuries have barely budged in five years.
ACC Claims Hit Record High While Storm-Hit Communities Wait for Help
As Wairarapa and Rangitikei struggle with storm damage, ACC data reveals a darker backdrop: serious workplace injuries reached 400,836 last year — the highest in 24 years of records. Seven years of consecutive increases, and no signs of slowing.
The Quiet Epidemic: Why 10,000 Kiwi Workers Now Develop Compression Injuries Every Year
While storms dominate headlines, a slower disaster is unfolding in New Zealand workplaces. Compression syndrome cases have jumped 40% since 2020 — and nobody's talking about it.
New Zealand's Oldest Workers Are Now Three Times Safer Than a Decade Ago
Serious workplace injuries among workers aged 90 and over have plummeted from 28,491 in 2021 to 12,225 in 2024. It's the lowest level in 19 years — but the drop reveals something unexpected about who's still working in their tenth decade.
Kiwis Approaching Retirement Are Half as Likely to Get Seriously Hurt at Work
While storms batter communities and headlines fixate on crises, workplace safety data tells a quieter story: serious injuries among workers aged 55-59 have plummeted 54% since 2020. For a generation that can't afford to stop working, that's the good news nobody's talking about.