Health and Safety Executive

Working days lost

During the last decade the total number of days taken off work due to work-related illness and workplace injuries has fallen.

The latest information from the Labour Force Survey for 2010/11 shows:

  • Around 26.4 million working days were lost in total, 22.1 million due to work-related illness and 4.4 million due to workplace injuries.
  • On average, each person suffering took around 15 days off work, 19 days for ill health and 7.2 days for injuries on average.
  • The number of working days lost has fallen over the past decade.
  • Stress, depression or anxiety and musculoskeletal disorders accounted for the majority of days lost due to work-related ill health, 10.8 and 7.6 million days respectively.
  • The average days lost per case for stress, depression or anxiety (27 days) was higher than for musculoskeletal disorders (15 days).

Estimated working days lost due to work-related incidents

Note: average sampling variability +/- 9% on the total

Estimated working days lost due to work-related incidents

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Updated 23.09.11