Kinds of accident – fatal, major and over-3-day injuries

The most common kinds of fatal injury to workers in recent years have been falling from a height, being struck by a moving vehicle and being struck by a moving or falling object. In 2006/07, these three kinds of accident combined accounted for 48% of all fatal injuries to workers.

The number of deaths from falling from a height decreased in 2006/07 from 48 to 45. This represents the lowest figure on record, and continues the general downward trend over the past ten years.

The number of workers fatally injured from being struck by a moving vehicle decreased in 2006/07 from 38 to 30. This represents the lowest figure on record. In comparison the number of deaths from being struck by a moving or falling object increased from 34 to 40 in 2006/07, an increase of 18%.

The number of major injuries to employees occurring as a result of slipping and tripping decreased slightly in 2006/07 from 10 955 to 10 790. Slipping and tripping remained the most common kind of major injury, accounting for 38% of all major injuries, a similar proportion to that seen in 2005/06.

The second most common kind of major injury are those sustained while handling, lifting or carrying. In 2006/07 this kind of injury accounted for 15% of all major injuries, however there has been slight decreases in injury number in each of the last two years.

There was an increase in the number of major injuries due to falling from a height in 2006/07, from 3 385 in 2005/06 to 3 409. Of these, 68% (2 324) were as a result of falling from a height of less than 2 metres.

There were 3 590 major injuries due to being struck by a moving or falling object in 2006/07, a slight decrease from 3 617 in 2005/06.

The number of over-3-day injuries to employees sustained while handling, lifting or carrying decreased by 5% in 2006/07 from 48 743 to 46 152. However, this is still the most common kind of over-3-day injury accounting for 41% of all such injuries in 2006/07.

There were 26 732 over-3-day injuries as a result of slipping and tripping in 2006/07 compared with 28 034 in 2005/06, a 5% reduction.

The number of over-3-day injuries as a result of being struck by a moving or falling object decreased slightly from 12 988 in 2005/06 to 12 768 in 2006/07. This kind of accident has accounted for about 11% of all over-3-day injuries over the past few years. The number of over-3-day injuries sustained as a result of striking something fixed or stationary also fell in 2006/07 from 5 243 to 4 921.

• View the chart data

Other kinds of accidents

• Suite of injury tables providing figures on kinds of accident
• Estimates by kind 2004/05 (LFS, RIDDOR)
  Estimated LFS incidence and rates of reportable non-fatal injuries to workers and RIDDOR reported injuries and rate to employees, by accident kind, 2004/05
• Working days lost by kind 2004/05 (LFS)
  Estimated number of working days lost (full-day equivalent) and associated average days lost per case and per worker in 2004/05 due to workplace injuries, by accident kind

Factsheets covering top level and more detailed injury statistics in support of monitoring the targets set under Revitalising Health and Safety.

• Falls from a height - Comprehensive Injury Statistics in support of the Revitalising Health and Safety programmes [1MB]
• Workplace transport - Comprehensive Injury Statistics in support of the Revitalising Health and Safety programmes [120KB]