C017:06 03 August 2006

HSE publishes full results of work-related Illness survey

The latest detailed analysis of information on work-related ill health has been published today by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Self-reported work-related illness in 2004/05: Results from the Labour Force Survey , generally confirms patterns which have emerged from previous Self-reported Work-related Illness (SWI) surveys in 1990, 1995, 1998/99, 2001/02 and 2003/04. The main headline figures from this survey were published in November 2005, and full results are now presented in this report.

Trends since 2001/02 (previously released)

• The estimated prevalence(long standing as well as new cases) rate of work-related illness in 2004/05 was lower than in 2003/04 and 2001/02.
• For people working in the last 12 months, the estimated incidence (new cases) rate of work-related illness in 2004/05 was of a similar order to the rate in 2003/04, but lower than in 2001/02.
• The estimated average number of annual working days lostper workerdue to work-related illness in 2004/05 was of a similar order to the rate in 2003/04, but lower than in 2001/02.

Main findings for 2004/05 (previously released)

The headline figures previously released indicated that the estimated prevalenceof self-reported work-related illness in 2004/05 was 2.0 million, equating to 4.7% of people ever employed. An estimated 29% of this total, 0.6 million people ever employed were incident cases. Among people employed in the last 12 months, this equates to an estimated incidence rate of 1.8%.

The estimated number of working days lostdue to work-related illness during the 12 month period was 28.4 million. On average, each person suffering took an estimated 23 days off work in that 12 month period. Averaged across the working population this represents an annual loss of 1.2 daysper worker.

Musculoskeletal disorders followed by stress, depression or anxiety were by far the most commonly reported type of work-related illnesses with corresponding prevalence estimates of 1.0 million and 0.5 million for people ever employed. The ranking was reversed for incidentcases, with an estimate of 206 thousand for musculoskeletal disorders and 245 thousand for stress, depression or anxiety. Furthermore, although the estimated annual working days lost were of a similar order for the two conditions, the average annual days lost per case was higher for stress, depression or anxiety (31 days) than for musculoskeletal disorders (20 days).

First-release data

This report provides a wealth of detailed information relating to 2004/05 for example:

• Males carried a higher estimated prevalence rate (for people who have ever worked) of musculoskeletal disorders (2.8%) than females (1.9%), whilst the opposite was true for stress, depression or anxiety (1.3% of females and 1.1% of males). The gender-specific incidence rates were similar for musculoskeletal disorders (0.6% of males and 0.7% of females), but for stress, depression or anxiety the rate for females (1.0%) was higher than for males (0.6%).
• Occupations with above average work-related illness prevalence rates (for people employed in the last 12 months) included health and social welfare associate professionals (with an estimated rate of around 6.8%), teaching and research professionals (5.0%) and skilled construction and building trades (4.7%). Two of these occupational groups (health and social welfare associate professionals and teaching and research professionals) also carried above average incidence rates.
• Furthermore, health and social welfare associate professionals, along with protective service occupations, carried above average annual days lost per worker.
• Industries with above average work-related prevalence rates included: health and social work (with an estimated rate of around 4.8%) and public administration and defence (4.3%). These industry groups also carried above average estimated incidence rates and above average days lost per worker.
• Four broad occupational groups carried the highest prevalence rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and accounted for around 60% of the overall estimated prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders: skilled trades occupations (with an estimated rate of 2.7%); process, plant and machine operatives (2.5%); personal service occupations (2.1%) and associate professional and technical occupations (1.9%).
• In line with these occupational groups, industries carrying above average prevalence rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were construction (2.5%) and health and social work (2.2%).
• Occupations carrying above average estimated prevalence rates of work-related stress, depression or anxiety were: teaching and research professionals (with an estimated rate of around 3.0%), health and social welfare associate professionals (2.0%) and corporate managers (1.7%). These occupational groups together accounted for around one third of the estimated prevalent cases of self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety.
• Industry groups associated with above average estimated prevalence rates of work-related stress, depression or anxiety largely reflected this occupational distribution, showing estimated rates of around 2% in public administration and defence; education; financial intermediation; and health and social work.

The report, Self-reported work-related illness in 2004/05: Results from the Labour Force Survey, can be accessed at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/swi/swi0405.pdf

The main headline figures from the report were published in Health and Safety Statistics 2004/05 at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh0405.pdf in November 2005.

Note to Editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commissioned a module of questions in the winter 2004/05 Labour Force Survey (LFS), to gain a view of work-related illness based on individuals’ perceptions. The LFS is a household survey, and is intended to be representative of the UK population. This is the sixth survey of self-reported work-related illness undertaken in conjunction with the UK LFS. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commissioned a survey in 1990 covering England and Wales, and one in 1995 covering Great Britain. The European Union Statistical Office (EUROSTAT) commissioned the third in 1998/99. This included most member states, but the UK coverage was restricted to people working in the past 12 months rather than people ever employed (as in the previous two surveys). HSE commissioned further surveys in 2001/02 and 2003/04 covering people ever employed in Great Britain. The surveys are known as SWI90, SWI95, SWI98/99, SWI01/02 and SWI03/04 (surveys of Self-reported Work-related Illness). Results were published in 1993, 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2005.

2 Headline results from the new survey (SWI04/05) which covers people ever employed in Great Britain, were published in Health and Safety Statistics 2004/05, providing estimates of the overall prevalence (including long standing as well as new cases) of self-reported work-related illness in the last 12 months, of incidence (new cases) in the same period and of annual working days lost due to work-related illness. This report focuses on releasing more detailed results by a range of demographic and employment-related variables. Some comparisons of the latest results with those from 2003/04 and 2001/02 (which are the most compatible) are also presented.

3. Results are based on 3 964 people living in Great Britain in 2004/05 who reported a work-related illness caused or made worse by current or past work. These individuals were identified by screening a nationally representative sample of 89 196 people in the Labour Force Survey. Since the results are based on a sample survey, there is a range of uncertainty around all estimates. In the report the uncertainty is expressed in the form of 95% confidence intervals, which mean that each range has a 95% chance of containing the true value (i.e. the value that would have been found if the entire population had been surveyed) in the absence of bias.

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