Workplace fatalities and disease statistics revealed
Annual release
In total there were 142 work-related fatalities, an increase of 29 compared with the previous year (see The next step ). Although this looks terrible, in fact it may not suggest that work has become more dangerous, as considerably less practical work took place in the pandemic year of 2019/20. In that year there were 113 deaths at work which was unusually low. Statistically, the numbers have remained fairly steady over the past five years with an average of 138.
Common causes
Falling from height continues to be the most common cause of fatal injury at work, with 35 killed in the last year. Other common causes are “being struck by a moving vehicle” which accounted for 25 deaths and “being struck by a moving, flying or falling object”, which was the cause of a further 17. The HSE points out that older workers continue to be disproportionately affected by serious accidents with around 30% of fatal injuries in 2020/21 involving workers aged 60 or over despite this age group making up only 11% of the workforce. In addition, 60 members of the public were killed in work-related accidents .
Tip. It’s easy to get side tracked when dealing with health and safety concerns, but whatever else draws your attention, don’t lose sight of those hazards which can so easily cause fatalities including work at height, moving vehicles and the handling of materials.
What about deaths from illness?
Separate figures have been released relating to mesothelioma, a specific type of cancer associated with past exposure to asbestos fibres. The number of deaths is reducing year on year but it is still having a huge impact on former workers. In 2019 it caused 2,369 deaths in Great Britain. This is 7% lower than the average of the previous seven years.
Tip. Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer but due to the time lag between exposure to asbestos and contracting the disease, workers may not appreciate the significant risk they take when breaking into materials which might contain it. As an employer you must ensure that workers who are at risk receive asbestos awareness training ( see The next step ).
Coronavirus stats
The HSE has also published its updated figures on coronavirus in the workplace (see The next step ). Over the period 10 April 2020 to 17 July 2021, the HSE received 34,126 notifications of COVID-19 in workers where occupational exposure was suspected, including 405 deaths. Since late April 2021 through to mid-July 2021 weekly reports of cases in the UK were around 100 to 200, a relatively low number when compared with the January 2021 peak of around 1,500. The main sectors affected by job-acquired coronavirus are health and social care (about half), education (11%), public administration and defence (9%) and manufacturing (5%). Of the 17 deaths from work- acquired infection between 18 April 2021 and 17 July 2021, 14 were healthcare workers.
For a link to HSE statistics on fatal accidents in 2020/21, asbestos awareness training and coronavirus in the workplace, visit https://www.tips-and-advice.co.uk , Download Zone , year 19, issue 22.
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