New statistics show big improvements in Britain's workplace safety and health record

Date:

28 October 2009

Britain became a healthier and safer place to work last year, according to figures released today by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Statistics show there has been a significant reduction in the numbers of people killed, injured or suffering work related ill-health from April 2008 to March 2009.

Across England, Scotland and Wales, 29.3 million working days (equivalent to 1.24 days per worker) were lost to injury and ill health last year - compared with 33.9 million in 2007/08.

Workplace fatal injuries fell from 233 in 2007/08 to a record low of 180 in 2008/09, and there was a reduction of more than 7,000 in the number of workplace injuries classified as serious or incurring more than three days absence from work.

Comparison with international data shows Britain to be one of the safest places to work in the EU.

Judith Hackitt, Chair of HSE said: 

"It is really encouraging to see these improvements in the numbers of deaths, injuries and cases of ill health at work over the last year.

"Protecting people from harm caused by work remains important irrespective of the economic climate. Having shown that Great Britain can achieve a performance that compares favourably with other industrialised nations as we entered the global recession, the challenge now is to maintain that improvement as we move towards recovery and increased activity in some economic sectors.

"In spite of the encouraging overall statistics today let's not forget that they tell also us a story of individuals and families who have suffered. This underlines the real risks that people can face at work every day. This is what the real health and safety agenda has always been about and it will continue to be so."

Major injuries at work have fallen since 2000 and this trend continued last year with 28,692 workers reported as being injured in 2008/09 (94.8 per 100,000) compared with 29,389 in 2007/08 (96.5 per 100,000).

A statistically significant fall was recorded in the estimated number of self-reported injuries - down from 299,000 in 2007/08 to 246,000 last year.

This improvement saw business lose 1.6 million fewer working days through all types of injury, a total of 4.7 million.

The number of people estimated to be suffering from work-related ill health fell by 79,000 in 2008/09 to 1.2 million.

And as a result three million fewer working days were lost to ill health in 2008/09 - a total of 24.6 million.

Judith Hackitt added:

"The improvements shown in these statistics point to other factors than simply a reduction in activity levels in a recession. While the recession will undoubtedly have an impact, the effect is not direct and easy to explain.

"History suggests that when we start moving back into economic growth the rate of work-related injuries will tend to increase. Preventing history from repeating itself is a challenge facing everyone with a stake in health and safety in the workplace - regulators, employers and employees alike: we all need to be part of the solution."

HSE continues to take a tough line with firms who put workers at risk by breaking safety legislation. It brought 1231 offences to court in 2008/9, and issued 8054 enforcement notices.

Notes to editors

1. The statistics are available online at http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics
2. In 2006 (the latest comparable year), Great Britain had the lowest rate of fatal injury among EU member states and the British rate of over-3-day injury was the second lowest in the EU, after Sweden. Rates of work-related ill health are below the EU average.
3. 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).
4. HSE campaigns for improvements in workplace safety throughout the year. It launches a new campaign, Hidden Killer, on Monday 2 November warning tradesmen about the dangers of Britain's biggest industrial killer, asbestos. Asbestos-related cancers account for around 4000 deaths each year - more than are killed in road traffic accidents.

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