Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Statistics
The latest survey of self-reported work-related illness (SWI) carried out in 2006/07 estimated that 119 000 people whose current or most recent job in the last year was in the education sector suffered from an illness which was caused or made worse by this job (See Table WRIIND2). The associated prevalence rate, 4400 per 100 000 people (4.4%) working in the last year, was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to that for all industries (3900 per 100 000 people - 3.9%)
Comparing this rate for the education sector with corresponding rates from earlier SWI surveys indicates that the estimated prevalence rate in 2006/07 was statistically significantly higher than that in 2005/06 (2800 per 100 000 people - 2.8%), but was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to those in 2004/05 (3900 per 100 000 people - 3.9%), 2003/04 (4300 per 100 000 people - 4.3%) and 2001/02 (5200 per 100 000 people - 5.2%).
SWI Table WRIIND4 shows that the estimated incidence rate in 2006/07 for the education sector of 2100 new cases per 100 000 people (2.1%) working in the last 12 months was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the average for all industries (1900 per 100 000 people - 1.9%). However, this rate was statistically significantly higher than the rate in 2005/06 (1300 per 100 000 people - 1.3%), but was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the rates in 2004/05 (1800 per 100 000 people - 1.8%), 2003/04 (2100 per 100 000 people - 2.1%) and 2001/02 (2700 per 100 000 people - 2.7%).
More detailed prevalence data by type of illness are not yet available from SWI06/07. The SWI survey conducted in 2005/06 showed that the prevalence rate for musculoskeletal disorders (See SWI Table MSDIND2) in the education sector was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to that in 2004/05, but was statistically significantly lower than the corresponding rates in 2003/04 and 2001/02, whereas the rate for stress, depression or anxiety disorders (See SWI Table STRIND2) in 2005/06 was statistically significantly lower than the corresponding rates in 2004/05, 2003/04 and 2001/02.
Data from the THOR surveillance scheme shows stress as the predominant work-related illness in this sector (see Table ILLEDU5).
Data from the 2006/07 LFS and SWI surveys indicate that the combined estimate of the number of days lost (full-day equivalent) due to workplace injury and work-related ill health attributed to the current or most recent job in the education sector was 2.5 million, equating to an average annual loss of an estimated 1.4 days per worker. This was similar (not statistically significantly different) to the rate for all industries (1.3 days per worker), and the corresponding rates in 2005/06 (1.0 days per worker), 2004/05 (0.89 days per worker) and 2003/04 (1.2 days per worker).
Workplace injuries and work-related illness accounted for an estimated 0.25 and 2.3 million working days lost (full-day equivalent) respectively in 2006/07, with corresponding rates of 0.14 and 1.2 days per worker.
The injury rate was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the respective rates of 0.078, 0.11 and 0.12 days per workers in 2005/06, 2004/05 and 2003/04.
The ill health rate was also of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the respective rates of 0.95, 0.78 and 1.1 days per worker in 2005/06, 2004/05 and 2003/04 (see Table WDLIND).
There were two fatal injuries to workers in the education sector in 2006/07. Both involved drowning or asphyxiation. There have been thirteen fatal injuries to workers over the whole period from 1996/97 to 2006/07.
In 2003/04 there was a change to the employer database against which HSE non-fatal injury reports are assigned. This affected the spread of non-fatal injury numbers by industry. The change in coding practice affects injury numbers but not the corresponding workforce figures and hence injury rates will also be affected. The change was particularly marked in the education sector. As a result injury figures prior to 2003/04 cannot be compared with more recent data for this industry group. In essence, they are two separate series. Until more data are available on the new basis, an accurate assessment of a long-term trend cannot be made.
There was a general downward trend in non-fatal injury numbers and rates in the late 1990s. This trend appears to have levelled off in the new series.
1132 employees suffered a major injury in 2006/07, a rise on 2005/06 numbers (1050). The rate of major injury rose from 45.4, in 2005/06, to 48.3 injuries per 100 000 employees. The rate is the highest since 2003/04, the earliest comparable year.
The most common kind of major injury was a slip or trip, with 648 injuries of this kind (57%). 115 major injuries (10%) were due to being struck by a moving or falling object.
There were 2 869 over-3-day injuries to employees, a rate of 122 injuries per 100 000 employees. This represents a 8% rise in the number of injuries and a 7% rise in the rate of injury, compared to 2005/06. It is a 5% rise in numbers and 1% reduction in rate from 2003/04.
The most common cause of injuries leading to 3 or more days absence were slips and trips with 874 (31%) and handling injuries with 860 injuries (30%) 342 over-3-day injuries (12%) were due to physical assault or violence.
Based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the rate of reportable non-fatal injury in education was 550 per 100 000 workers (0.55%) in 2005/06 (three-year average), statistically significantly lower than the average for all industries (1000 per 100 000 workers - 1.0%).
