Four in five working people in Australia are exposed to unsafe work practices as they have been injured, become ill, or both due to traumatic situations at work, reveals a survey.
The survey, 'Work Shouldn't Hurt', released by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) on Monday included 26,000 workers, reported Xinhua.
It also found that 47 percent of respondents were exposed to either traumatic or distressing situations at work in the last 12 months and 31 percent said they have been abused, threatened or assaulted by co-workers, clients or customers.
Three out of five workers said they experienced poor mental health in the last 12 months as a result of their employer failing to address unsafe working conditions.
Liam O'Brien, the ACTU assistant secretary, told Fairfax Media on Monday that the incidence of injuries and poor mental health were "entirely avoidable."
"Work shouldn't hurt anyone - mentally, or physically," he said.
While 61 percent of workers experienced poor mental health because of work only nine per cent made a workers' compensation claim for it and of those that did only a third were approved.
More than half the 26,000 respondents said they were aware of conditions in their workplace that could cause injury or illness.
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Published: 12 Aug 2019,10:27 AM IST