Latest annual statistics from the Health and Safety Executive show that Great Britain is still one of the safest places in the world to work, with the lowest number of deaths on record – but with half the working days lost arising from mental ill-health.
The annual report includes statistics for work-related ill health, workplace injuries, working days lost, enforcement action taken, and the associated costs to Great Britain.
The figures show that around 693,000 workers sustained non-fatal injuries in 2019/2020 and 1.6 million workers suffered from work-related ill-health.
The statistics, compiled from the Labour Force Survey and other sources, show that in Great Britain there were 111 fatal injuries at work. 1.6 million working people suffered from a work-related illness, and 38.8 million working days were lost through work-related illness and workplace injury. More than half the working days lost in 2019/20 were due to mental ill-health.
The estimated economic cost to Great Britain totalled £16.2bn. 325 cases were prosecuted and resulted in a conviction. Fines from convictions totalled £35.8m.
The HSE said emergence of Covid-19 as a national health issue at the end of final quarter of 2019/20 did not appear to be the main driver of changes seen in the data, although it was possible that Covid-19 may be a contributory factor.
Sarah Newton, HSE chair said: “The Covid pandemic has focused attention on the health and safety issues people face in the workplace. HSE remains committed to taking action where workers are not protected, to ensure the guidance and assistance we provide for employers in managing risks is the best available, based on the latest evidence and science.
“Although Great Britain continues to be among the safest places in the world to work, these figures highlight the scale of the challenge HSE currently faces in making Britain an even healthier and safer place to work; this includes our role in the response to the pandemic to ensure workplaces are Covid-secure.”
The full annual injury and ill-health statistics report and a summary booklet can be found on HSE’s website.