Latest injury and ill health figures
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned that work-related injuries and ill health are still costing Britain over £14 billion per year, as it released its latest annual statistics which revealed a rise in workplace fatalities compared with last year.
The latest figures, published in October 2015 by the HSE, highlight the following.
- Based on provisional figures, 142 workers were fatally injured at work during 2014/15, compared with 136 in 2013/14.
- In 2014/15, there were 611,000 non-fatal injuries in the workplace (according to the Labour Force Survey) of which 152,000 led to over-7-days absence.
- It is estimated that an estimated 27.3 million working days were lost due to work related ill health or injury in 2014/15.
- Of the estimated 1.2 million people who suffered from a work related illness, 516,000 were new cases.
- It is estimated that injuries and new cases of ill health resulting largely from current working conditions cost society an estimated £14.3 billion a year.
Commenting on the new figures, Judith Hackitt, HSE’s Chair, said, “Nobody should lose their life or become ill simply from doing their job. These figures show that despite the great strides and improvements made over the last 40 years since Britain’s health and safety regime was established, there is still more that can be done.”