11.11.2009

Fatal accidents down by 23% in Great Britain

The latest statistics on work-related health and safety in Great Britain have been published by the HSE. The statistics include slips, trips and falls from height and show there has been a significant reduction in the numbers of people killed, injured or suffering work related ill-health from April 2008 to March 2009.

The provisional figure of 180 workers fatally injured is a significant decrease compared to the average over the last five years.

Last year (2007/08), the total number of fatalities for all workers was 233 and in 2006/07 this figure was even higher at 247.
Breaking this figure down - for employees, the trend is decreasing more rapidly, reducing from a high of 191 in 2006 to 178 last year and 129 this year (a drop from 0.7 to 0.5 per 100,000 employees). However, the self employed have not fared so well with 51 fatalities this year compared with 56 last year – a rate of 1.4 to 1.3 fatalities per 100,000).

The combined rate which includes all employees is now 0.6 fatalities per 100,000 workers.

The key numbers are as follows:
1. 180 workers were killed at work, a rate of 0.6 per 100 000 workers.
2. 131,895 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR, a rate of 502.2 per 100 000 employees.
3. 246,000 reportable injuries occurred, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), a rate of 870 per 100 000 workers.
4. 29.3 million days were lost overall (1.24 days per worker), 24.6 million due to work-related ill health and 4.7 million due to workplace injury.
5. 1,245 offences were prosecuted by HSE and ORR.
6. 329 offences were prosecuted by local authorities.

To view the statistics go to: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh0809.pdf?ebul=slips/nov-09&cr=10