Workplace injury

Rates of injury at work have reduced substantially over the past decade. There have been falls in both self-reported injury and injuries reported by employers.

• An estimated 591 000 workers had an accident at work in 2011/12 - 212 000 of these injuries led to over 3 days absence from work and 156 000 to over 7 days (LFS).
• Self-reported non-fatal injuries have fallen by an average 6% each year since 2003/04 (LFS).
• Employers reported 114 000 injuries to workers in 2011/12, 24 000 of which were classified as major injuries (RIDDOR).
• The number of injuries reported by employers has fallen in nine of the last ten years with average annual falls of 4% over the decade (RIDDOR).
• Self-reported results suggest that just over half of reportable non-fatal injuries to employees are recorded under RIDDOR, with the self-employed reporting a much smaller proportion.
• 173 workers were fatally injured at work in 2011/12 which compares with an annual average of 196 worker fatalities from 2006/07 to 2010/11 (RIDDOR).

Self-reported non-fatal injury amongst people who have worked in the last 12 months, by absence duration

Note: average sampling variability +/- 6% on the total

More information about workplace injury

• Fatal injuries
• Kinds of accident
• Reported injury tables
• Self-reported injury tables