HSE Publishes Statistics for 2013/14: A reminder of what health and safety is really about.
Recent figures published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that although Britain remains one of the safest places to work in Europe, an estimated 28.2 million working days were lost due to work related ill health or injury in 2013/14.
As in previous years, the industries suffering the highest injury rates include construction, agriculture, manufacturing and waste and recycling. Across all sectors, the 28.2 million lost working days equate to £14.2 billion in costs to society.
Fatal diseases continue to be an area of major concern, with around 13,000 deaths per year from occupational lung disease and cancer caused by past exposure to chemicals and dust at work. Current estimates suggest there are at least 8,000 occupational cancer deaths each year in Great Britain with more than half of these caused by past exposure to asbestosAsbestos is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK1. Asbestos was extensively used in construction materials up until the late 1990s, and is present in a significant number of bu... More – and a recent campaign launched by the HSE aims to bring some much needed focus to this area.
Of particular note, deaths due to mesothelioma (a cancer of the lung lining), caused by past exposure to asbestos, show a substantial increase between 2011 and 2012 to 2535, which is close to the maximum number of predicted deaths expected to occur towards the end of this decade.
Looking at self-reported illnesses caused or made worse by work during the 2013/14 period, musculoskeletal disorders and stress, anxiety and depression continued to be the most prevalent conditions – with around 80% of new work-related conditions also falling into these categories.
Provisional figures provided for the number of fatal injuries sustained during 2013/14 show that although this figure was down to 133 from 150 in the previous year, the HSE believes it is currently too early to confirm if this represents a sustained improvement in fatality rates due to fluctuations in recent years.
Meanwhile, figures for the number of non-fatal injuries to employees for 2013/14 equated to 77,593 (provisional) – of which the most common causes were slips and trips (28%), handling, lifting or carrying (24%) and being struck by moving objects (10%).
Judith Hackitt, HSE Chair, said: “These latest figures remind us what health and safety is really about. We all need to commit to focussing on what really matters – ensuring more people return home from work every day and enjoy long and healthy working lives.”
For more information on these published figures, click here.
For guidance or further information about managing health and safety and reducing risk, contact the S2 Partnership’s specialist consultants.