Latest occupational health statistics published

E112:05 26 August 2005

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today published new statistics on work-related ill health in Great Britain. For the first time these identify the contributing factors recorded by specialist doctors involved in cases of musculoskeletal disorders and mental ill health.

In 2004 specialist doctors in the Health and Occupation Reporting (THOR) network saw an estimated 23,000 new cases. As in previous years, the most common types of work related illness were: Musculoskeletal disorders, affecting mainly the back and upper limbs and mental ill health, which consisted mostly of stress, depression and anxiety.

Between 2002 and 2004, the tasks that were most commonly reported as contributing to musculoskeletal disorders were guiding or holding tools, followed by heavy lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling and keyboard work. The jobs carrying the highest risks of musculoskeletal disorders, according to reports from rheumatologists in 2002-04, were: typists; metal plate workers; shipwrights and riveters; and road construction operatives, all with annual average incidence rates around 15 times the average for all occupations.

In cases of work related mental ill health reported to THOR in 2002-2004 the most commonly reported factor was simple work pressure, which was mentioned in one quarter of cases. Interpersonal difficulties were a factor in 22% of cases, with traumatic events a factor in 10% and bullying or sexual harassment in 8% of cases. Consultant psychiatrists reported NCOs and other ranks in the UK armed forces as the occupation with the highest incidence rate of work-related mental ill health in 2002-04 at around 17 times the overall average, followed by medical practitioners (16 times). A consistent pattern in self-reporting surveys is that professional and managerial groups have the highest rates of work-related stress, anxiety or depression, particularly teachers, nurses and other public sector occupations.

At almost 90 times the average for all occupational categories 'bakers, flour confectioners' and 'vehicle spray painters' have the highest rates of occupational asthma, according to reports from consultant chest physicians.

The occupational categories 'hairdressers and barbers' and 'beauticians and related occupations' have the highest rates of contact dermatitis at roughly 16 times the average for all occupations, according to reports from consultant dermatologists.

In 2004 there were 7,080 new cases assessed as qualifying for compensation under the Department for Work and Pensions' Industrial Injuries Scheme. This compares with 7,910 new cases in 2003. There were falls in cases of chronic bronchitis, vibration white finger and carpal tunnel syndrome. Cases of asbestos-related disease (mostly mesothelioma and asbestosis) continued to rise.

Each year an estimated 6,000 people (uncertainty range 3,000 to 12,000) die from cancer due to past exposures at work. In 2003 over 1,870 people died from mesothelioma, a cancer caused mainly by occupational exposure to asbestos, and around, as many again are likely to have died from asbestos-related lung cancer. In addition to these cancer deaths, over 100 died from asbestosis and nearly 250 from other types of pneumoconiosis, mostly associated with coal dust and silica.

Previously published figures show that overall, in 2003/04, an estimated 2.2 million people were suffering from an illness, which they believed was caused or made worse by their work (from the 2003/04 Self-reported Work-related Illness survey).

Notes to editors

Occupational Health Statistics Bulletin 2004/05 is available on the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/ohsb0405.pdf. More detailed data and commentaries are at: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm.

The statistics in this Bulletin are derived from a number of different sources. They draw on the latest surveillance data from specialist doctors in The Health and Occupation Reporting network (THOR) run from the University of Manchester, claims for disablement benefit under the Department for Work and Pensions' Industrial Injuries Scheme (IIS), and numbers of deaths from mesothelioma and other occupational diseases.

HSE's other main source comprises surveys of Self-reported Work-related Illness (SWI) based on the Labour Force Survey. The full results of the 2003/04 SWI survey were published in May 2005.

The statistics are classified according to the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2000, the standard UK system for grouping jobs in terms of the kind of work performed and the skills required.

Statistics on all aspects of workplace health and safety, including headline results from the 2004/05 Self-reported Work-related Illness survey and progress against the targets set in the Revitalising Health and Safety strategy, will be given in Health and Safety Statistics 2004/05, scheduled for publication in November 2005. HSE is publishing some statistics now, three months ahead of that release, in line with the National Statistics principle that figures should be released as soon as possible after they have been compiled.

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