Two possible results of disturbed industrial relations are industrial disputation and a worsening of the level of absence attributed to injury. To ascertain whether a relationship exists between these two results, correlation coefficients were calculated between industrial disputation data and injury statistics for Queensland. Correlations for each year of the study were indicative of a positive association between industrial disputation and absence attributed to injury. The results suggest that the relationship between industrial disputation and absence attributed to injury depends on a number of factors. The state of industrial relations, social and cultural characteristics, industry structure, and the type of work performed appear to affect the level of absence. These and other factors should be considered when lost-time injury statistics are used as an index of the efficacy of an accident-damage-control program or a particular countermeasure.