In the US it is well-known that older workers experienced high fatality rates because of traumatic occupational injuries. New NIOSH research corroborates that, stating that between 1980 and 1997 there were 21,887 fatalities of civilian workers aged 55 years and older reported through the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) surveillance system.

During the 17-year period, the average fatality rate in the US of 8.3 per 100,000 workers aged 55 and above was nearly double the rate for workers between the ages of 16 and 54. The rate for those 65 and older (13.5) was nearly three times that for younger employees.

According to the NIOSH findings, accidents involving motor vehicles and machinery were the leading causes of death for older workers, accounting for nearly half the fatalities. Falls, homicides, and being struck by falling objects accounted for another third of the deaths for that age group.

What was especially significant was the economic impact of those deaths. The researchers estimated that from 1980 to 1997, the cost to society of occupational fatalities to workers aged 55 and over was US$6.5 billion. With the number of workers in that age group expected to increase nearly 50 percent between 2000 and 2010, the dollar impact is considerable.

Australia's recent oilfield fatalities have been at onshore facilities, with Longford and Moomba being involved, and it has been only through good luck that some of the offshore incidents in the Carnarvon Basin and Bass Strait that resulted in injuries were not more serious.