Abstract
Abstract Introduction Disparities in work-related fatal injury (WRFI) have been documented for Indigenous and First Nations workers internationally. In depth analyses to understand these disparities, however, are not common owing to difficulties in obtaining data on ethnicity. Aotearoa-New Zealand’s WRFI record is poor compared to similar countries, with Indigenous Māori at higher risk of WRFI than non-Māori workers despite being partners to health equity commitments under Te Tiriti-Treaty of Waitangi. This presentation examines differences in characteristics of WRFI to inform where prevention efforts are required to reduce inequities. Materials and Methods A WRFI dataset was created by collecting Coronial case files for the period 1995-2014. Ethnicity was dicotomised into Māori and non-Māori using prioritised ethnicity data from the Ministry of Health. WRFI frequencies and rates per 100,000 workers were calculated by age, sex, employment status, occupation and industry and were stratified by ethnicity. Standardisation of rates was used to examine possible reasons for any differences. Results Māori workers have a crude rate of WRFI 1.9 times higher than non-Māori workers (IRR 1.9, 95% CI 1.6, 2.3). Disparities in fatalities were apparent by age, sex, occupation and industry. Standardisation by occupation reveal that much of the difference is able to be explained in part by differences in the distribution of Māori workers into high risk occupational groups. Conclusions Aotearoa-New Zealand’s Indigenous Māori workers continue to experience higher rates of WRFI despite historical health equity commitments under Te Tiriti-Treaty of Waitangi. Future efforts to address work-related fatal injury need to address the inequities in outcomes for Māori workers.