The downward trend in accident statistics looks set to continue with an 11 per cent drop in major injuries in the workplace according to new figures published by the HSE.
The provisional statistics show that in Britain between April 2012 and March 2013:
- 19,707 major injuries, including amputations, fractures and burns, were reported (a rate of 78.5 injuries per 100,000 employees) compared with 22,094 in 2011/12 (a rate of 88.5 per 100,000);
- 148 workers were fatally injured. This is down from 171 the previous year, and the average for the past five years was 181 worker deaths a year; and
- workplace injuries and ill-health (excluding work-related cancer) cost society an estimated £13.8 billion in 2010/11 compared with £16.3 billion in 2006/07 – both in 2011 prices.
Judith Hackitt, chair of the HSE, said:
“Britain continues to improve its health and safety performance, with important falls in the number of workers fatally injured and the number of employees suffering major injuries.
“But we still see too many deaths and injuries occur in the workplace, many of which could have been prevented through simple safety measures. Getting this right is the key to ensuring that everyone can make it home safely at the end of the working day.”
The figures show that although major injuries have hit an all time low, there has been little change in the industries like construction, agriculture, and waste and recycling, where workers are most likely to be injured by their jobs.
In 2012/13, the construction industry recorded 1,913 major injuries (156 per 100,000 employees), compared to 2,124 in 2011/12 (171.8 per 100,000 employees).
The HSE added that in 2010 – the most recent year for which statistic are available across the EU – the standardised rate of work-related fatal injuries, excluding traffic accidents, was 0.71 per 100,000 workers in Great Britain, the third lowest in the EU.