In the ten year period April 2000 to March 2010 almost 77,000 workers in the food and drink industries suffered an injury reportable to HSE, the number decreasing each year over this period. In 2009/10 over 5000 injuries were reported, representing a quarter (26%) of all manufacturing injuries. Around 90% of these injuries occur in food manufacture, the remainder in the drinks sector.
About 16% of the injuries are 'major injuries' resulting in broken bones, hospitalisation etc. mostly due to slips, falls from height or machinery. The remainder are 'over-3-day absence injuries' mostly caused by lifting and handling, slips and trips and being struck by objects such as hand-knives or falling objects. The graph below combines both 'major' and 'over-3-day absence' injuries.
Analysis of 5221 major and over-3-day absence injuries
