The latest work injury statistics show the number of people killed at work in Britain has fallen to a record low, ensuring Britain has one of the best records in Europe for fatal work injuries.
Large falls in the number of fatal injuries have been recorded in some of the historically most dangerous industries in Britain, although deaths in the workplace still, sadly, continue, especially in higher risk sectors.
The numbers of fatal injuries across some of the UK’s most dangerous industries including construction has fallen, the new figures showing that compared with the latest numbers for other leading European industrial nations – Germany, France, Spain and Italy – the UK has for more than the last six years had the lowest rate of fatal injuries at work, including industrial injuries.
Statistics for fatal UK injuries at work are:
2008/9: 178
2007/8: 233
2006/7: 247
2005/6: 217
2004/05: 223
The fatal injury rates include:
41 fatal injuries to construction workers recorded last year, a rate of two deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to an average of 66 deaths in the past five years and a fall from the 52 deaths and a rate of 2.4 recorded in 2008/9.
42 fatal injuries to services workers were also recorded, a rate of 0.2 deaths per 100,000, compared to an average of 72 deaths in the past five years and a fall from the 62 deaths and a rate of 0.3 deaths per 100,000 recorded in 2008/9.
24 fatal injuries to manufacturing workers were recorded, a rate of 0.9 deaths per 100,000, compared to an average of 38 deaths in the past five years and a fall from 33 deaths and rate of 1.1 in 2008/9.
Figures for last year show that 151 workers were killed between April 2009 and March 2010 compared to 178 deaths in the previous year and an average number over the last five years of 220 deaths per year.
Judith Hackitt, chairperson for The Health and Safety Executive which records the statistics, said:
“Today’s announcement is a combination of encouraging news about improvement but also a salutary reminder of the tragedies of lives lost at work.
“It is really very encouraging to see a further reduction in workplace fatalities in the past year.”
Despite the overall improvement, agriculture, the most dangerous industry in Britain, has recorded a sizeable increase in deaths. 38 workers died on farms in the last year, marking a disappointing return to levels of previous years after a record low of 25 deaths in 2008/9.
The average rate of fatal work injury over the last five years has been 0.7 per 100,000 workers.
The reporting of injury incidents at work is a statutory requirement set out under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).
The latest work injuries statistics are provisional.
A reportable injury at work includes a death or major injury; any accident which does not result in major injury, but the injured person still has to take three or more days off their normal work to recover; a work related disease; a member of the public being injured as a result of work related activity and taken to hospital for treatment; or a dangerous incident which does not result in a serious injury but could have done.
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