Workplace injury - all industries
Note on Data Sources
There are two main sources of non-fatal injury statistics: estimates from self-reports obtained through the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS); and incidents reported by employers under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). When analysing trends, statistics from the LFS have several advantages over RIDDOR: they are not subject to substantial under reporting; they are not affected by changes in legislation; and data is available for all workplace injuries, irrespective of time off work. For more details on injury data sources.
The top level picture of workplace injuries is presented below. For more detailed topic information see:
For detailed data tables see:
In 2015/16:
- 144 workers were killed as a result of a workplace accident. (RIDDOR)
- Fall from a height (26%), being struck be a moving vehicle (19%) or being struck by a moving object (10%) were the main kind of fatal accident accounting for just over half of all fatalities
- An estimated 621,000 workers sustained a non-fatal injury at work according to self-reports. (Labour Force Survey - LFS). Of these injuries:
- 200,000 led to over 3 days absence from work; of which
- 152,000 led to over 7 days absence.
- Being injured handling, lifting or carrying (20%), slipping or tripping (19%), and being hit by a moving object (10%) were the main kind of non-fatal accident accounting for around half of all non-fatal injuries.
- There were 72,702 non-fatal injuries to employees reported by employers (which only includes over-7-day injuries and specified injuries). (RIDDOR)
- Note: Non-fatal injuries to employees are substantially under-reported by employers, with current levels of reporting estimated at around a half; and the reporting of injuries to the self-employed a much lower proportion.
- In total, an estimated 4.5 million working days were lost due to self-reported workplace injuries, on average 7.2 days per case (LFS).
Longer-term picture
- Over the longer term, there has been a decline in both fatal and non-fatal injuries:
- There has been a long-term downward trend in the rate of fatal injury, although in recent years this shows signs of levelling off.
- Rates of self-reported non-fatal injury to workers showed a downward trend up to 2010/11; since then the rate has been broadly flat. (LFS)
- The rate of non-fatal injury to employees reported by employers fell in 2015/16, continuing the long-term downward trend.
Rate of self-reported non-fatal injury per 100,000 workers
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS)
