Injury analysis - priority programmes: falls from height

RIDDOR

Statistics are available from RIDDOR for three categories of falls from height:

• High falls (a fall from a height of at least 2 metres)
• Low falls (a fall from a height below 2 metres)
• Unspecified height

Analysis of a large sample of the accident reports for falls from an unspecified height suggested that the majority of these are low falls. For that reason, low and unspecified falls are combined in the analyses presented here.

The pie charts below show the breakdown of fatal, major and over-3-day fall injuries by height of fall and whether the injured person fell from a ladder or something else. Typically more than 70% of fatal fall injuries are from a height of more than two metres compared with 23% of major fall injuries and just 10% of over-3-day fall injuries. In each category, between 20% and 30% of the accidents reported are normally from ladders. In 2008/09 the proportion of injuries attributable to high falls fell to 15% of major fall injuries and just 5% of over-3-day fall injuries. This is because of the significant increase in the proportion of low and unspecified falls due to the reclassification of slips and trips on stairs as falls.

Chart 11: Fatal fall injuries to workers, 2008/09p

• View data for fatal fall injuries to workers, 2008/09p

Chart 12: Major fall injuries to workers, 2008/09p

• View data for major fall injuries to workers, 2008/09p

Chart 13: Over 3 day fall injuries to workers, 2008/09p

• View data for over 3 day fall injuries to workers, 2008/09p

Since 2001/02, the number of fall injuries reported has been in steady decline. This is the case both for falls from high heights and low heights although the decline is sharper for high falls (down 44%) than for low falls from ladders (down 16%). Other low falls have increased substantially in the last year, but this is mainly due to the recoding of slips and trips on stairs as falls.

Chart 14: Fall injuries to workers reported under the RIDDOR regulations, 2001/02 to 2008/09p

• View data for chart over 3 day fall injuries to workers, 2008/09p

Detailed RIDDOR tables

• Falls from a height - Comprehensive Injury Statistics in support of the Revitalising Health and Safety programmes

Risk control surveys

The charts below show keys results from HSE’s working condition surveys run between 2005 and 2007 in relation to the risk of falling from height. Only employers who recognised a potential fall risk to their employees were asked fall-related questions. Similarly, only workers who said they worked at height were questioned further about the fall risk. The biggest change seen was in the percentage of employers who spontaneously mentioned conducting risk assessments as a way of controlling the fall risk. This increased from just 8% in 2005 to 29% in 2006 and is likely to coincide with the launch of Working at Height regulations in 2005 which required employers to conduct risk assessments to determine whether their employees were at a risking of falling.

Chart 15: Key results from the "Fit3" employer survey

• View data for key results from the "Fit3" employer survey

Chart 16: Key results from the "Fit3" worker survey

• View data for key results from the "Fit3" worker survey