The latest Health & Safety at Work Statistics have been released for Great Britain. They contain some interesting information relating to accidents at work injuries.

  • There were 147 workers killed at work in 2018/19, that is an increase of 3 on the previous year.
  • 581,000 workers suffered a non-fatal injury according to the Labour Force Survey
  • An estimated 4.7 million working days were lost due to non-fatal workplace injuries.
  • 138,000 injuries required workers to be off work for over a week and 443,000 injuries led to up to 7 days off work.
  • Slips, Trips and Falls on the same level remain the most common form of accident at work, accounting for 29% of all workplace accidents. In second place are injuries arising from Handling, Carrying and Lifting (20%) followed by ‘being struck by a moving object’ (10%), acts of violence (8%) and falls from height (8%).

Overall, the rate of fatal injury showed a long-term downward trend although it has been broadly static over recent years. 147 fatal accidents at work in a year is still 147 too many. These accidents devastate the lives of families. Read more about fatal accidents here.

If you thought that Construction was the most dangerous environment you would be wrong. Agriculture, forestry and fishing remains the most accident-prone sectors. If you want to stay safe, it seems working in IT or as an Estate Agent will lower your risks.

How do we compare with our European neighbours?

The UK remains one of the safest places to work in the EU, with the number of fatal accidents per 100,000 employees being considerably below France and Spain, as well as Germany, Poland and Italy. We are approximately half the EU average. When people complain about ‘Health & Safety Gone Mad!’ it’s worth remembering that H&S saves lives and avoids catastrophic and life-changing injuries.

Only a small proportion of accidents at work result in compensation claims. You can read more about how we help clients who have suffered injuries at work here. Or read more from the Health & Safety Executive here.

If you have suffered an accident at work or have another legal problem that you need help with, please contact our specialist solicitors today for a free no obligation discussion.

You can call us on 0161 989 9400 or complete the contact form. Alternatively you can visit us in either our Cheadle Hulme, Stockport or Kelsall, Tarporley office.

LLB Solicitors 28/01/2020