The Self-reported Work-related Illness (SWI) and Workplace Injury modules of the LFS

Respondents are asked to recall events over the previous 12 months, and so results reflect an average of the previous 12 month period. Each questionnaire module has a core set of questions with a small number of additional questions asked periodically. Whilst information is collected from Northern Ireland, this information is not routinely published since HSE's jurisdiction is restricted to Great Britain only.

The Workplace Injury Module of the LFS

The module of questions on workplace injury [see Annex 1 for the 2006/07 question set] is administered to individuals aged 16 or over who are currently employed or who have been employed in the previous year (some 57 000 people in Great Britain in 2006/07). There is a core set of questions asked annually, with additional questions included periodically. In 2006/07 the core question set was extended to collect information about the kind of accident and type of injury sustained.

Individuals are asked an initial screening question:
Thinking of the 12 months since [date], have you had any accident resulting in injury at work or in the course of your work?

Individuals responding positively to the screening question are then asked whether or not the (most recent) injury resulted from a road accident, and also to confirm whether the injury occurred in their current or most recent job (details of which are recorded as part of the main LFS questioning) or in another job.  The respondent is then asked how soon they returned to work following the accident and to describe the injury received.  Individuals reporting either 'fractured or broken bones' or 'dislocated joints' are further asked to recall which bone/joint was fractured/dislocated.  Similarly, individuals reporting loss of sight are asked how long they were affected by the sight impairment.  Respondents are asked whether they experienced loss of consciousness or hypothermia as a result of the accident and whether they required resuscitation or hospitalisation.  Finally respondents are asked to describe how the accident happened.

In 2006/07 respondents were additionally asked how many workplace accidents they had sustained over the 12 month period.

The Self-reported Work-related Illness survey module of the LFS

Since 2001/02 this module of questions on work-related ill health [see Annex 2 for the 2006/07 question set] has been administered to individuals aged 16 or over who were currently employed or who had been employed in the past (some 86 000 people in Great Britain in 2006/07).  In 2006/07 the question set was extended slightly to ask respondents about the job which caused or made the illness worse when the job was not the current or most recent job (details of which are recorded on the main LFS).  This further information, which was previously collected in 2004/05 only, will be collected in alternate years in the future.

Individuals are asked an initial screening question:
[Apart from the accident you have told me about,] within the last 12 months have you suffered from any illness, disability or other physical or mental problem that was caused or made worse by your job or by work you have done in the past?

Individuals responding positively to this screening question are then asked how many work-related illnesses they had suffered from, and to describe the most serious. Subsequent questions focus on the most serious illness, asking respondents when they first became aware of their illness and also to confirm whether their current or most recent job (details of which are recorded as part of the main LFS questioning) or another job caused or made their complaint worse, in which case respondents are asked to describe the job and the industry in which they worked. Respondents who had worked in the past 12 months are also asked how much time they had taken off work (in the last 12 months) because of their illness.

Periodically, other questions may also be included.

Linking information from the Self-reported Work-related Illness (SWI) and Workplace Injury modules of the LFS with information in the main LFS

The LFS provides a rich source of information about the labour force using internationally agreed concepts and definitions. It collects data on demographics, employment, self-employment, hours of work, unemployment, redundancies, education and training and many other topics. Information provided by an individual on the Self-reported Work-related Illness (SWI) and Workplace Injury modules of the LFS can be matched with their corresponding labour force information to provide a comprehensive picture of workplace injury and work-related illness by a range of factors.

• Full LFS questionnaire used in 2007 [PDF]