Work-related injuries and ill health in education - Ill health

The latest Self-reported Work-related Illness (SWI) module included annually in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimated that in 2008/09¹, 95 000 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, 3 200 per 100 000 people (3.2%) working in the last year, was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to that for all industries (3 300 per 100 000 people - 3.3%).

Comparing this rate for the education sector with corresponding rates from earlier SWI surveys indicates that the estimated prevalence rate in 2008/09 was statistically significantly lower to that in 2006/07 (4 400 per 100 000 people - 4.4%), 2003/04 (4 300 per 100 000 people - 4.3%) and 2001/02 (5 200 per 100 000 people - 5.2%), but was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to that in 2007/08 (3 600 per 100 000 people - 3.6%), 2005/06 (2 800 per 100 000 people - 2.8%) and 2004/05 (3 900 per 100 000 people - 3.9%)

Table WRIIND4 shows that the estimated incidence rate in 2008/09 for the education sector of 1 500 new cases per 100 000 people (1.5%) working in the last 12 months was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the average rate across all industries (1 700 per 100 000 people - 1.7%).  This rate was also of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the corresponding rates in 2007/08 (1 700 per 100 000 people - 1.7%), 2005/06 (1300 per 100 000 people - 1.3%) and 2004/05 (1 800 per 100 000 people - 1.8%), but was statistically significantly lower than those in 2006/07 (2 100 per 100 000 people - 2.1%), 2003/04 (2 100 per 100 000 people - 2.1%) and 2001/02 (2 700 per 100 000 people - 2.7%).

More detailed prevalence data by type of illness are not yet available from SWI08/09. The SWI survey conducted in 2007/08 showed that the prevalence rate for musculoskeletal disorders (See Table MSDIND2) in the education sector was statistically significantly lower than those in 2006/07, 2003/04 and 2001/02 and to the rate across all industries, but of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to those in 2005/06 and 2004/05.

However, the rate for stress, depression or anxiety disorders (See Table STRIND2) in 2007/08 was statistically significantly higher than the all industry rate and statistically significantly lower than that in 2001/02, but was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the corresponding rates in 2006/07, 2005/06, 2004/05 and 2003/04.

The average annual incidence rate of work-related ill-health within education (as measured by THOR-GP) is 1 123 per 100 000 people employed (1.1%), lower than the average for all industries of 1 551 per 100 000 employed (1.6% - see Table THORGP04). However, in 2008 the incidence rate for work related mental ill health for the education sector is almost double the rate for all industry, an incidence rate of 925 per 100 000 people employed compared to 466.

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¹The breakdown by industry section for 2008/09  may not be entirely consistent with those of previous years.  This is because a new Standard Industrial Classification, SIC2007, has been introduced to replace the existing classification, SIC92.  To allow comparisons with earlier years, each class under SIC2007 has been mapped to a section under SIC92, according to the assumed relationship between the two classifications.  It is currently assumed that the effect of the changes on the time series is not significant, but further analysis is being undertaken by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to verify this.