Key Trends in 2016/2017 Health and Safety Statistics

Posted on 11th Dec, 2017 | By Lorretta Tatham

There’s a lot to go through in the Health and Safety Statistics for 2016/17, so for your convenience, our experts at Browns have combed through them to bring you the most pivotal trends and figures. You can find the statistics in their entirety here, but we’ve pulled out the salient points of two key categories: Injuries, and Illnesses.

Illnesses At Work in 2016/2017

The statistics reveal that…

• There were 1.3 million employees suffering from a work-related illness (whether longstanding or newly-acquired)
• 516,000 workers suffering from a new case of work-related illness
• Around 25.7 million working days were lost due to work-related illness
• 13,000 deaths each year are estimated to be linked to past exposure to hazardous elements like chemicals and dust
• There were 2542 deaths linked to asbestos exposure

Although we’re still seeing a general downward trend in the rate of illnesses at work in the UK, the most pronounced drops were prior to 2011. Since then the rate of illness at work has stayed mostly flat. This could be seen as encouraging, in that safety legislation over time has clearly had a measured effect, but still more change is needed before we can drop this number further.

Asbestos remains a particularly deadly problem, and further complicated by the fact that some workers remain broadly unaware of the serious health hazards it can cause. (This is exactly what our Asbestos Awareness Course is designed to tackle, through education and training.)

Injuries and Deaths At Work in 2016/2017

Meanwhile, the HSE’s Injury at Work statistics reveal that:

• There were an estimated 609,000 injuries that occurred at work, according to the Labour Force Survey
• 70,116 of these injuries were reported under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations)
• Around 31.2 million working days were lost to work-related illnesses and workplace injuries
• 137 employees were killed at work within this period

Similar to illnesses at work, there’s a long term downward trend in the rate of fatal injuries at work, although this has settled into a mostly flat rate in the last few years since 2010/11. The rate of non-fatal injuries – as reported by employers – is continuing its gradual downward trend. It is worth noting, however, that these are based on testimony by the employers themselves, and as such can skew the reliability of the final data.

According to UK law, the responsibility lies with employers to keep their employees safe and healthy for as long as they’re at work. If you’re an employer, we’d strongly recommend making sure that all your employees are up to date with the latest training, best practices and relevant legislation that relate to their day to day duties.

At Browns Safety, we’re committed to making sure that all that information and expertise is readily available to you, which we do through the use of our many training courses. Our Manual Handling course is relevant across a wide variety of industries, as are either of our first aid courses. Book your place today, simply by giving us a call on 01282 615517.

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