News: UK Annual Injury & Ill-health Statistics Released

The annual injury and ill-health statistics for Great Britain has been released by the HSE. The statistics show that Britain is still one of the safest places in the world to work with the lowest number of work-related deaths on record.

According to the statistics released, agriculture has the worst rate of fatal injuries amongst workers in Great Britain. It also highlights that more than half of the working days lost in 2019/20 were due to mental health-related issues. 

The annual report conducted by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) includes statistics and information for work-related illnesses, accidents in the workplace, the number of working days lost, enforcement actions taken, and related costs to Great Britain.

The emergence of COVID-19 as a national health crisis at the end of the final quarter of 2019/20 does not appear to be the main driver of the changes seen in the results, although it is conceivable that the pandemic could be a contributing factor.

Data shows that about 693,000 employees suffered non-fatal injuries in 2019/2020 and 1,6 million workers suffered from work-related illnesses.

Statistics collected from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and various other sources show that that in Great Britain in the 2019/2020 period there were;

• 111 fatal work-related injuries
• 1.6 million employees suffering from work-related health issues
• 38.8 million working days lost due to work-related health issues and injuries

In 2019/20, across all sectors, 29 fatal injuries to employees were caused by falls from a height, accounting for about a quarter of all workers’ deaths over the year. Just under 20% of the fatal injuries were caused by being struck by a moving vehicle, while 16% of fatal accidents in 2019/20 were caused by moving (including falling) objects.

In 2019/2020, the estimated economic loss to the United Kingdom amounted to £16.2 billion, with 38.8 million working days lost.

In response to the report, Sarah Newton, HSE Chair said:

“The Covid pandemic has focussed attention on the health and safety issues people face in the workplace. HSE remains committed to taking action where workers are not protected, to ensure the guidance and assistance we provide for employers in managing risks is the best available, based on the latest evidence and science.

“Although Great Britain continues to be up there with the safest places in the world to work, these figures highlight the scale of the challenge HSE currently faces in making Britain an even healthier and safer place to work, this includes our role in the response to the pandemic to ensure workplaces are Covid Secure.

“We must continue to drive home the importance of managing risk and promoting behaviours to ensure employers work right so that workers can go home healthy and safe at the end of each day.”

The full annual injury and ill-health statistics report can be found on HSE’s website.

These statistics highlight the challenge that employers face in ensuring their organisation is a healthy and safe place to work.