Fatalities in the workplace: The facts
Posted on 21st Sep, 2015 | By Lorretta Tatham
During 2013/2014, the most recent year an in depth report was carried out by the HSE, there were 133 deaths at work in Great Britain. In addition to these fatalities, there were also more than 79,500 injuries reported. Over 1.1 million people were also estimated to have been made ill from work-related activities and conditions. While these numbers are still high, they are a huge improvement on numbers issued in 1975, when the HSE was formally established. Between 1974/1975 there were 651 employees killed alone, nearly six times the number killed in recent years.
Regional differences
The North West was highlighted as a particular poor area of the UK for workplace fatalities. In research conducted by the HSE, figures showed that 15 people lost their lives while at work in the North West in 2013/2014. To add to this, 9.432 people also suffered injury. These figures were an increase on the regional figures from the previous year.
2015: An update
Provisional annual data has also been collated for 2015, which reveals that 142 workers were fatally injured at work between 2014/2015 – an increase on last year. While the UK’s statistics remain one of the lowest in Europe, there’s clearly a lot that employers and employees need to work on.
Sector-related fatalities and workplace risks
Of course, some sectors fared better than others when it came to workplace accidents and fatalities. The worst sectors included:
- Construction – 44 deaths were recorded during 2013/2014
- Waste and recycling – 4 deaths were recorded in 2013/2014
It’s in these areas that the HSE are campaigning for better health and safety and asking employers to review processes to better protect workers.
Within the sectors listed above, along with other high-risk sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, a number of high-risk activities were also outlined. These included:
- Working from a height
- Working on machinery that’s poorly maintained and guarded
- Failing to properly manage workplace transport
Asbestos also proved to be a serious risk to employee health and wellbeing. In fact, 2,538 people were killed through past exposure to asbestos in 2013.
On the Browns Ladders blog you’ll find a wide range of blog posts aimed to help raise health and safety awareness of the issues above. Working at a height is one issue we cover in great detail. Take a closer look at our recent blog posts to learn more.
Reduce fatalities and accidents in your workplace
Our Safety Training Courses are another fantastic way to increase knowledge and act to reduce accidents and fatalities in the workplace. We have a wide range of courses available, including the following:
- Ladders, Steps & Scaffold Towers Training Course
- Work at Height Training Course
- Abrasive Wheels Training Course
- UKATA Asbestos Awareness Training
- 3 Day First Aid at Work
To find out more about any of our courses, or to book on one today, please contact our training team on 01282 615517.
