04 November 2014
Injury and ill-health highlight workplace dangers
Figures published recently show that while Britain continues to be one of the safest places to work in Europe, too many workers are still being injured or made ill by work.
Injury and ill-health statistics released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that an estimated 28.2 million working days were lost due to work related ill health or injury 2013/14. As a result, the cost to society from such injuries and new cases of ill health due to current working conditions is an estimated £14.2 billion (2012/13 figures based on 2012 prices), according to the latest annual statistics published by HSE today.
The statistics show that, in 2013/14, there were;
- 133 fatal injuries – a fall from 150 the previous year
- 77,593 other injuries reported under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). That equates to 304.6 injuries per 100,000 employees
- An estimated two million people in 2013/14 suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by current or past work
Judith Hackitt, the chair of the HSE commented that behind every number is the reality of a real person being killed or suffering injuries or ill health while simply doing their job.
