HSE publishes statistics of fatal injuries for 2004/2005

HSC press release C018:05 - 28 July 2005

The Health & Safety Commission (HSC) today publishes the latest detailed statistics on fatal injuries in HSE and local authority (LA) enforced sectors in 2004/05 - Statistics of Fatal Injuries 2004/2005.

Fatal Injuries to Workers

The figures show that the number of fatally injured workers decreased by 7% to 220 in 2004/05 from 236 in 2003/04. The rate of fatal injury also decreased by 7% to 0.75 per hundred thousand workers, from 0.81. This is the lowest rate on record. There was a general downward trend in the rate in the 1990s, however it has risen twice since then, in 2000/01 and in 2003/04.

In May 2004, nine fatal injuries occurred following a single incident at a plastics factory in Scotland.

In 2001, the most recent year for which comparable data are available, the rate of fatal injury to workers in Great Britain is one of the lowest among European Union member states.

In 2004/05, 114 (52%) of worker fatalities occurred in the two industries of construction (72) and agriculture (42).

Falling from a height continues to be the most common kind of accident, accounting for 24% of fatal injuries to workers in 2004/05. The number of fatal injuries of this kind decreased in 2004/05 from 68 to 53. Being struck by a moving or falling object, and being struck by a moving vehicle, are the next most common kinds of fatal injury.

Industries

In agriculture, the number of fatal injuries to workers decreased to 42 in 2004/05 from 44 in 2003/04 ( 21 of the 2003/04 deaths occurred at Morecambe Bay). The rate of fatal injury to workers also decreased from 11.3 per hundred thousand workers in 2003/04 to 10.4 in 2004/05, although this rate has fluctuated in recent years with no discernible trend.

In construction in 2004/05, there were 72 fatal injuries to workers - an increase of 1 in 2003/04. However, due to a rise in employment, the rate of fatal injury to construction workers fell by 3%, to 3.5 per hundred thousand workers, and continued the downward trend of the past four years. This is the lowest level seen in the last 13 years.

In manufacturing, the number of fatal injuries to workers rose from 30 in 2003/04, to 41 in 2004/05 (which include the plastics factory incident), reversing the recent downward trend. The rate of fatal injury to workers rose from 0.9 to 1.2 per hundred thousand workers.

In service industries in 2004/05, there were 63 fatal injuries to workers, a decrease from 81 in 2003/04. The rate of fatal injury also fell, from 0.35 per hundred thousand workers to 0.27 in 2004/05. This reverses the increasing trend of the previous three years. The services sector comprises a wide range of activities and whilst the numbers of fatal injuries fluctuate year on year in many industries, increases have occurred in sewage and refuse disposal (from 1 in 2003/04 to 10 in 2004/05) and fire service activities (from an average 1 per year recently, to 5 in 2004/05). Motor vehicle sale and repair has seen a reduction, from an average 8 fatalities per year, to 3 in 2004/05.

In extractive and utility supply industries in 2004/05, there were 2 fatal injuries to workers, compared with 10 in 2003/04 and 3 in 2002/03. In 2004/05, the rate of fatal injury is 1.1 per hundred thousand workers, compared with 5.4 in 2003/04. The rate of fatal injury in this industry is more susceptible to fluctuation due to the small number of fatalities involved.

For the combined three year period of 2002/03 to 2004/05, the industries with the highest rate of fatal injury to employees include the recycling of waste and scrap (18.6 per hundred thousand employees); and the mining of coal, lignite and peat extraction (10.2).

Fatal Injuries to Members of the Public

The number of members of the public fatally injured in 2004/05 is 361, of which 244 resulted from acts of suicide or trespass on railways. For 2003/04, the corresponding figures were 374 and 243 respectively. In 2004/05, of the 87 non railway fatal injuries, 71 were in the services industry, of which 47 occurred in health and social work. The corresponding figures for 2003/04 were 79 and 45 respectively. There were also 8 fatalities in construction in 2004/05.

Notes to editors

1. The reporting of health and safety incidents at work is a statutory requirement, set out under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR). A reportable incident includes: a death or major injury; any accident which does not result in major injury, but the injured person still has to take four 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 occurrence (which does not result in a serious injury, but could have done).
2. As well as giving data for Great Britain, the statistics released today include statistics for Wales, Scotland and the regions of England, together with statistics relating to European Union member states.

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