HSC/E publishes Health and Safety Statistics for 2004/2005

HSC press release C027:05 - 8 November 2005

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has today published the latest statistics on workplace injury and work-related ill-health in Great Britain. 'Health and Safety Statistics 2004/05' presents the top-level statistics, including reports on progress against the targets set in the 'Revitalising Health and Safety' strategy. More detailed data and commentary are available on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics. The document itself is at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh0405.pdf. (Other statistics have been published earlier in the year: please see Notes to editors).

Workplace fatal and non-fatal injury

For workplace injuries, the new figures include 2004/05 data on non-fatal injuries reported by employers and others under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations), supplemented by self-reported injury statistics from the Labour Force Survey (LFS).

The main features of the injury statistics are as follows:

Fatal injuries to workers

• There were 220 fatal injuries to workers in 2004/05, a decrease of 7% on the 2003/04 figure of 236.
• Around half occurred in two industries, construction (71) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (42).
• The rate of fatal injury to employees declined throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The rate rose by 30% in 2000/01 and has dropped since then.

Reported non-fatal injuries

• 30 213 major injuries to employees were reported in 2004/05, a rate of 117.7 per 100 000. This was down 2% on the previous year. Over a third were caused by slipping and tripping.
• There were 120 346 other injuries to employees causing them to be off work for over 3 days, down 8% on 2003/04. Two fifths were caused by handling, lifting or carrying.

Labour Force Survey and reporting of injuries

• The rate of reportable injury estimated from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) was 1330 per 100 000 workers in 2003/04 (3-year average) , down by 7% on the previous year.
• Comparing this with the RIDDOR rate of reported major and over-3-day injury, the level of reporting by employers was 47.6%, up from 43.0% in 2002/03.

Injuries to members of the public

• There were 361 fatal injuries to members of the public in 2004/05, down by 3% on the previous year. Around two-thirds were due to acts of suicide or trespass on the railways.
• There were 14 321 reported non-fatal injuries to members of the public, an increase of 5% on 2003/04.

Work-related ill health

For work-related ill health, there are new results from the Self-reported Work-related Illness (SWI) Survey 2004/05. The statistics also draw on surveillance data from specialist doctors in The Health and Occupation Reporting network (THOR), claims for disablement benefit under the Department for Work and Pensions' Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) Scheme, and deaths from mesothelioma and other occupational diseases.

The main features of the ill health statistics are as follows:

Self-reported ill health

• In 2004/05 an estimated 2.0 million people suffered from ill health which they thought was work-related, lower than the level in 2003/04 (2.2 million).
• Around three-quarters of the cases were musculoskeletal disorders (eg upper limb or back problems) or stress, depression or anxiety.

Ill health seen by specialist doctors

• Each year between 2002 and 2004, an estimated 23 000 new cases of occupational or work-related illness were seen by disease specialist doctors and occupational physicians who reported to the THOR surveillance scheme.
• As with self-reported cases, mental ill health and musculoskeletal disorders were the most common types of illness: each accounted for just under a third of the total.

Ill health assessed for industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB)

• In each of the latest three years an average of over 7500 cases were assessed for IIDB. The largest categories were vibration white finger, carpal tunnel syndrome and respiratory diseases associated with past exposures to substances such as asbestos and coal dust.

Asbestos-related and other fatal diseases

• Several thousand people die each year from diseases caused by past work exposures, including nearly 1900 deaths in 2003 from mesothelioma, a cancer related to asbestos exposure.

Revitalising Health and Safety targets

The statistics on health and safety at work inform the measurement of progress against the targets for reducing work-related injuries, ill health and working days lost set in the 'Revitalising Health and Safety' strategy. HSE's approach to progress measurement is detailed in a Statistical Note published in June 2001; annual progress reports have been published each Autumn since then.

HSE statisticians' latest assessments, at the mid-point of the 'Revitalising' strategy period, are as follows:

Progress on fatal and major injuries

• The Revitalising Health and Safety target for 2004/05 is to reduce the incidence rate of fatal and major injury by 5% from 1999/2000.
• The available sources indicate no clear change since the base year in the rate of fatal and major injury to employees. The target has therefore not been met.

Progress on work-related ill health incidence

• The Revitalising Health and Safety target for 2004/05 is to reduce the incidence rate of work-related ill health by 10% from 1999/2000.
• The evidence suggests that incidence has fallen for most major categories of work-related ill health. Overall, the 10% target has probably been achieved.

Progress on working days lost

• The Revitalising Health and Safety target for 2004/05 is to reduce the number of working days lost per worker due to work-related injury and ill health by 15% from 2000-02.
• There has been a significant fall in working days lost since the base period, possibly enough to meet the 15% target.

Notes to editors

1. From 1992/93 to 2000/01, statistics relating to health and safety at work were published in an annual volume 'Health and Safety Statistics' and in the Health and Safety Commission's Annual Report. Since 2001/02 the top-level statistics have been released in a 'Highlights' document and the details made available simultaneously on the HSE website. This year, for the first time, the statistics are being released in a pocket-size booklet, designed to give a brief, accessible guide to the key facts and figures. The detailed data are on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics, which this year includes enhanced webpages on injuries and ill health in specific industries.
2. Full details of HSE's enforcement action were released on 20 October 2005 in the Offences and Penalties Report at http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/off0405/introduction.htm
3. As well as giving data for Great Britain, the statistics released today include figures for Scotland, Wales and the Government Office regions of England. Statistics briefings for each of these are available on the website at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/regions/index.htm.
4. The 'Revitalising Health and Safety' strategy statement, launched by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chair of the Health and Safety Commission in June 2000, set national targets to reduce the incidence rate of fatal and major injuries, the incidence rate of work-related ill health and the rate of working days lost from work-related injury and ill health. The targets relating to ill health were also featured in 'Securing Health Together: A long-term occupational health strategy for Great Britain', launched by the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, in association with other government departments, in July 2000.
5. The assessments of progress against the three targets represent HSE statisticians' best judgments based on all the information currently available. They are subject to uncertainty - for example because some of the data come from surveys, which are affected by sampling error. This is why the judgments for ill health incidence and days lost are given in terms of a range of possibilities: in statistical terms, we can only say it is 'probable' or 'possible' that the targets have been met. For ill health, the range of possibilities is mostly above the 10% target, so we can be fairly confident that the real reduction was at least 10%. For days lost, the 15% target is around the middle of the range, and so it is less likely (but still quite possible) that this target has been met .
6. Arrangements for 'National Statistics' were launched by the government in July 2000, to enhance the integrity and quality of official statistics. The National Statistics badge, which is on 'Health and Safety Statistics 2004/05' and this press release, means that the statistics concerned must be produced to high professional standards, subject to regular quality assurance reviews and free from political interference. To achieve this, the National Statistics arrangements include an independent Statistics Commission, a Code of Practice (released in October 2002) with supporting protocols (issued between 2002 and 2004), and mechanisms for consultation with stakeholders. Further details are on the Office for National Statistics website at www.statistics.gov.uk/.
7. Copies of 'Health and Safety Statistics 2004/05' are available online at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh0405.pdf .

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