Fatal injuries to British workers at record levels

C019:06 17 August 2006

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) today published the annual fatal injury statistics showing the lowest fatal injury number on record. In 2005/2006 212 people were fatally injured, a reduction from 223 in 2004/2005. The rate is also the lowest on record, at a rate of 0.71 fatalities per 100,000 workers.

Bill Callaghan, Chair of HSC said, " The figures are very encouraging but more needs to be done. There are still too many people killed at work every year, and quite often simple, inexpensive measures could have prevented the tragic loss of life. The figures show that the Commission's strategy is working. This is based on enforcement, information and advice, regulation and persuasion and working in partnership with industry and trade unions. The construction industry is an example where all parties have worked closely together over a number of years and achieved impressive results. "

The figures published today also contain a comparison across Europe, which shows Great Britain as having the lowest fatal injury rate in Europe, a rate of 1.1 worker per 100,000.

Falls from height remain the most common cause of fatal injury, with 46 workers being killed following a fall compared to 53 workers killed in 2004/2005. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently run a campaign warning of the dangers of working at height in a bid to further raise awareness of the dangers posed by working at height and try and reduce this figure still further.

Two industries, construction and agriculture account for just under half of all fatal injuries, however, both industries saw sizeable reductions in the number and rate of fatalities. In construction there was a 14% drop in the number of fatal injuries resulting in the lowest rate on record and in agriculture there was a reduction of 21% to the lowest rate since 1999/2000.

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. European comparisons are compiled independently by Eurostat and relate to figures published in 2003.
3. More information about HSE can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk
4. Information regarding falls from height can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk/falls/index2.htm
5. HSE publishes a full range of workplace health and safety statistics, these can be viewed at: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm

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