Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Statistics
The latest survey of self-reported work-related illness (SWI) carried out in 2006/07 estimated that 205 000 people whose current or most recent job in the last year was in the health and social work sector suffered from an illness which was caused or made worse by this job (See Table WRIIND2). The associated prevalence rate, 5800 per 100 000 people (5.8%) working in the last year, was statistically significantly higher than that for all industries (3900 per 100 000 people – 3.9%).
Comparing this rate for health and social work with corresponding rates from earlier SWI surveys indicates that the estimated prevalence rate in 2006/07 statistically significantly higher than those in 2005/06 (4100 per 100 000 people – 4.1%) and 2004/05, 2003/04 and 2001/02 (all an estimated 4800 per 100 000 people – 4.8%).
SWI Table WRIIND4 shows that the estimated incidence rate in 2006/07 for the health and social work sector of 3000 per 100 000 people (3.0%) working in the last 12 months was statistically significantly higher than the average for all industries (1900 per 100 000 people – 1.9%). This rate was also statistically significantly higher than the rates in 2005/06 (2000 per 100 000 people – 2.0%), 2004/05 (2400 per 100 000 people – 2.4%) and 2001/02 (2300 per 100 000 people 2.3%), but was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the rate in 2003/04 (2400 per 100 000 people – 2.4%).
More detailed prevalence data by type of illness are not yet available from SWI06/07. However, earlier SWI surveys indicate that the prevalence rates for musculoskeletal disorders (See SWI Table MSDIND2) in 2005/06 was statistically significantly lower than the corresponding rates in 2004/05, 2003/04 and 2001/02, whereas the rate for stress, depression or anxiety (See SWI Table STRIND2) in 2005/06 was statistically significantly lower than the corresponding rates in 2004/05 and 2003/04, but was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to that in 2001/02.
Data on incidence rates as recorded by hospital specialists in the THOR surveillance schemes displays a high rate for stress, but shows rates for upper limb disorders below average and rates for spine/back disorders slightly above average. This difference is probably due to the high level of occupational health provision in this sector, resulting in cases being dealt with by occupational physicians rather than hospital specialists. If THOR reports from occupational physicians are included the levels of musculoskeletal cases are substantially increased (especially for back disorders). The THOR data also show high rates for dermatitis and infections (see Table ILLHEA5).
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 health and social work sector was 4.9 million, equating to an average annual loss of an estimated 1.9 days per worker. This was statistically significantly higher than the rate for all industries (1.3 days per worker) and the corresponding rate in 2005/06 (1.3 days per worker), but was similar (not statistically significantly different) to the rates in 2004/05 (1.8 days per worker) and 2003/04 (1.7 days per worker).
Workplace injuries and work-related illness accounted for an estimated 0.6 and 4.4 million working days lost (full-day equivalent) respectively in 2006/07, with corresponding rates of 0.22 and 1.7 days per worker.
The injury rate was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to those of 0.21 days per worker in both 2005/06 and 2004/05 and that of 0.32 days per worker in 2003/04.
However, the ill health rate was statistically significantly higher than the rate of 1.1 days per worker in 2005/06, but of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the corresponding rates of 1.6 and 1.4 days per worker in 2004/05 and 2003/04 (see Table WDLIND).
In December 2005, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published revised employment data for the public sector. The revisions were substantial for the health and social care sector and came about from a change in the data source being used. As these revisions materially affected the injury rate series for both health and social care, we have revised our injury rates back to 1996/97 to maintain consistency over time.
In the period 1996/97 to 2006/07 there were seven fatal injuries to employees in the health services.
The number of reported major injuries to employees rose by 3% in 2006/07 to 1561 from 1518 in 2005/06.
The rate of major injury to employees in health services remained steady at 73 per 100 000 employees in 2005/06 and 74 in 2006/07.
In 2006/07, 53% (841 of 1561) of major injuries to employees in the health services were as a result of slips or trips, 15% (241) were handling, lifting or carrying injuries and 11% (169) resulted from physical assault.
The number of over-3-day injuries to employees in the health services sector has decreased slightly, from 10 721 in 2005/06 to 10 550 in 2006/07.
The rate of over-3-day injury to employees has fallen by 3% to 501 per 100 000 employees in 2006/07 from 517 in 2005/06. This is the lowest rate recorded in the eleven-year period 1996/97 to 2006/07.
In 2006/07, 51% (5426 of 10 550) of the over-3-day injuries to employees in the health services sector were handling, lifting or carrying injuries, 18% (1930) were as a result of slips or trips, and 15% (1606) were as a result of physical assault.
Based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the rate of reportable non-fatal injury in health was 980 per 100 000 workers (0.98%) in 2005/06 (three-year average), similar (not statistically significantly different) to the average for all industries (1000 per 100 000 workers – 1.0%).
In the period 1996/97 to 200 6/07 there were 12 fatal injuries to employees in the social care sectors. In 2006/07, there were three fatal injuries, 1 resulting from drowning or asphyxiation and 2 as a result of a physical assault.
In 2006/07p there were 765 reported major injuries to employees, this is a small increase on the previous year (757). A slip or trip was the most common kind of major injury accounting for 382 (50%) injuries. There were 94 major injuries due to physical assault (12%) and 98 due to handling, lifting or carrying (13%). The rate of major injury has generally risen since 2001/02, with a value of 68 per 100 000 employees in 2006/07.
Of the 3197 over-3-day injuries to employees, the most common kinds were handling, lifting or carrying 3 8%, slip or trip 21% and physical assault 21%. There has been a downward trend in the rate of over-3-day injury since 1996/97, although it has risen in the latest year to .284 per 100 000 employees in 2006/07p, from 272 per 100 000 employees in 2005/06.
