HSE Publishes Latest Statistics on Fatal Injuries in the Workplace

9th July 2013

The latest provisional figures published by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) on the number of workers fatally injured in Britain in 2012/13 reveal 148 workers were fatally injured compared with 172 in the previous year.

Despite the fall in fatal injury figures and a 20-year downward trend, the HSE reports that when the 2012/13 data is added to the time series, the last five years’ data indicate a levelling off, also noting that fatal injuries are subject to chance variation and reiterating its focus on helping manage real risks in the workplace.

Amongst the figures, some areas did reveal an increase in fatal injuries. The waste and recycling sector reported the 2012/13 fatal injury rate at 8.2 deaths per 100,000 compared to the five-year average of 4.7. Reviewing regional variances, fatal injury rates were higher in the South East of England and Scotland in 2012/13 when compared with the five-year average.

Judith Hackett, HSE Chair said: “These figures are being published in the same week as the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster, and are a reminder to us all of why health and safety is so important… last year 148 people failed to return home to their loved ones.”

“We all have a part to play to ensure people come home safe at the end of the working day and good leadership, employee engagement and effective risk-management are key to achieving this.”

For more information on these published figures, click here.  For assistance or guidance from the S2 Partnership, contact us.