Latest UK Figures Show Increase in Workplace Fatalities

Recent statistics from the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show an increasing rate of workplace fatalities between 2018/19, with 147 deaths reported to enforcing authorities. This represents an increase of six fatalities on the 141 workers killed in 2016/17.

The latest UK health and safety numbers also include valuable information on accidents and illnesses by occupation, industry, region and country.

Falls from height continue to be the most common factor for workplace deaths (40 percent) followed by being struck by a moving vehicle (30 percent), and then by a moving object (16 percent).

Despite the increase for 19/19, the overall trend has remained downward since 1981 when workplace fatalities clocked an alarming 495.

HSE chair Martin Temple said the statistics were a reminder that despite the UK’s world-leading position in health and safety, it “cannot become complacent.”

“These statistics also remind us that, in certain sectors of the economy, workplace death remain worryingly high. Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounts for a small fraction of the workforce of Great Britain, yet accounted for over 20% of worker fatalities in the last year. This is unacceptable and more must be done to prevent such fatalities taking place.”

“Whatever the sector, we should remember that any change in numbers provides little comfort to the family, friends and colleagues of the 147 whose lives were cut short this year while doing their job.”

Key figures from 2018/19 in the UK:

• 1.4 million working people suffering from a work-related illness
• 2,526 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2017)
• 147 workers killed at work
• 581,000 working people sustaining an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey
• 69,208 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
• 28.2 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
• £15 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2017/18)