England

Statistics of occupational ill health, safety and enforcement

Ill health

The latest Self-reported Work-related Illness (SWI) module included annually in the national Labour Force Survey (LFS) indicated that  in 2008/09 an estimated 1.0 million people in England, who worked in the last 12 months, suffered from an illness which they believe was caused or made worse by their current or past work (See Table WRIGOR1W12). The associated prevalence rate of 3900 per 100 000 people (3.9%) was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the rates for Wales (3200 per 100 000 people - 3.2%), Scotland and Great Britain (both 3900 per 100 000 people - 3.9%).

Estimated prevalence rates of self-reported illness caused or made worse by work, per 100 000 people working in the last 12 months

Comparing this rate with the corresponding rates from earlier SWI surveys indicates that the estimated prevalence rate in 2008/09 was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to those in 2007/08 (4200 per 100 000 people - 4.2%) and 2005/06 (4000 per 100 000 people - 4.0%), but statistically significantly lower than those in  2006/07 and 2003/04 (both 4700 per 100 000 people - 4.7%), 2004/05 (4200 per 100 000 people - 4.2%) and 2001/02 (5000 per 100 000 people - 5.0%).

More detailed prevalence data by type of illness are not yet available from SWI08/09. However, earlier SWI surveys indicate that the prevalence rate for musculoskeletal disorders (See Table MSDGOR1W12) in 2007/08 was statistically significantly lower than the corresponding rates in 2006/07, 2003/04 and 2001/02, but was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to those in 2005/06 and 2004/05.

The rate in 2007/08 for stress, depression or anxiety (See Table STRGOR1W12) was statistically significantly higher than the corresponding rate in 2005/06, but of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to those in 2006/07, 2004/05, 2003/04 and 2001/02.

In 2008/09, England had an estimated incidence rate of work-related illness of 1800 per 100 000 people (1.8%) who worked in the last 12 months (See Table WRIGOR2W12). This rate was statistically significantly lower than those in 2006/07 (2100 per 100 000 people - 2.1%) and 2001/02 (2300 per 100 000 people - 2.3%), but was of a similar order (not statistically significantly different) to the rates in 2007/08 (1900 per 100 000 people - 1.9%), 2005/06 (1700 per 100 000 people - 1.7%), 2004/05 (1900 per 100 000 people - 1.9%) and 2003/04 (2000 per 100 000 people - 2.0%).

Individual country data are also available for the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma (see Table MESO05). Geographical differences reflect the historic distribution of asbestos using industries, especially shipbuilding, railway engineering and the production of asbestos insulation products. Mesothelioma death rates for males and females in England are above the average for Great Britain.

Data is also available on the estimated incidence of THOR cases by country and major disease category over the last three years (2006 to 2008) (see Table THORGOR1), and the numbers of cases of prescribed disease assessed as compensatable under the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme (for lung diseases see Table IIDBGOR1 and Table IIDBGOR2 for other diseases) from 2002 to 2008.

The geographical distribution of THOR cases may be influenced by the location of members of the surveillance network, and should be interpreted cautiously - especially for hearing loss (where the number of cases is small).

The proportions of current work related ill health shown by THOR and IIDB data in the three countries of Great Britain generally reflect their approximate shares of the working population. For all diseases, the bulk of the cases are in England.

Two large categories of mainly historic occupational disease are more localised: asbestos-related diseases and diseases associated with coal mining. At country level the asbestos diseases as reflected in IIDB data are somewhat more prevalent in Scotland, and less prevalent in Wales. Pneumoconiosis and other mining related diseases occur at consistently higher rates in Wales, while for Scotland there is no clear pattern.