To put this into context, in 1975 there were 614 work-related deaths. In 2005/06, there were 212. Six years ago, the government set some ambitious targets to reduce work-related ill health, injuries and days lost. In November 006, we set out how we are doing: on track for meeting the ill health and days lost targets, and at last making progress on injuries. Indeed, in the last four years, the number of days lost has fallen 5% from 40 million to 30 million.

But 212 deaths and 30 million days lost is still too many so there is much more work to do. And, despite recentprogress, there remains a huge challenge in reducing the number of cases of ill health. This report aims to give a brief overview of the effort to reduce work-related fatalities, injuries and illness.

The achievements and challenges that we set out here are not those of HSC, HSE and local authorities alone. This is truly a combined effort, involving employers and employees, as well as government and non-government organisations across Great Britain. We have achieved a lot. We have a great deal more still to do.

Revitalising Health and Safety targets: progress to 2005/06

• Ill health: the target is to reduce the incidence rate of work-related ill health by 20% between 1999/ 2000 and 2009/10. This is on track to meet the ten-year target, and falling in 2005/06.
• Days lost per worker: the target is to reduce the number of working days lost per worker due to workrelated injury and ill health by 30% between 2000-02 and 2009/10. This is probably on track to meet the ten-year target.
• Fatal and major injuries: the target is to reduce the incidence rate of fatal and major injury by 10% between 1999/2000 and 2009/10. This had plateaued but has fallen over the past two years. We are not yet on track for this ten-year target. But the rate and number of fatalities are now at the lowest level ever recorded and the rate of major injuries has fallen over the last two years.