Workers’ Compensation Trends in WA Prisons

Working in a prison environment comes with a level of risk not typically found in most other workplaces. This is largely due to the unique nature of custodial work, where staff are responsible for managing individuals who may be violent, unpredictable, or in crisis. Custodial staff are tasked with maintaining security, order, and safety within …

Increasing workers’ compensation trends heavily impact prison operations Psychological injury claims have more than doubled since 2019 and now account for one in four claims. These claims are costlier, slower to resolve and highlight weaknesses in early intervention and return to work support. The overall increase in claims volumes has directly undermined prison operations, contributing …

Workers’ compensation has become a critical workforce and financial challenge for the Department of Justice, with Western Australia’s prison officers experiencing some of the highest serious claim rates in the country. Since 2019, nearly 3,900 claims have been lodged with psychological claims rising significantly and now accounting for a quarter of all claims. Psychological claims …

Recommendation 1 Review the effectiveness and efficiency of the current workers’ compensation and injury management process to develop a model based on industry best practice. Consideration should be given to including: Reviewing the current functions and structure of the Workers’ Compensation Team Increasing resourcing within the Workers’ Compensation Team. Introduce Key Performance Indicators for internal …