Have you ever wondered how safe the UK’s workplaces are? Or if you live in one of the safest or most dangerous regions to work in Great Britain? Well, now you can find out – thanks to recent Health and Safety Executive data.
In this article, we’ll explore the number of workplace injuries in Britain, the safest regions to work in, and more.
How many workplace injuries occur in Britain?
According to data published by Health and Safety Executive, there were a total of 123 workplace fatalities in 2021/22. This total was not only 14% lower than the year before but also down 28% over the past decade – suggesting long-term improvements in preventing workplace fatalities in the country.
Meanwhile, there were a total of 61,713 employer-reported non-fatal injuries over the same period.
While this number may seem worryingly large, it’s reassuring to know that the victims can make work injury compensation claims. To illustrate the validity of this course of action, the UK Government’s Compensation Recovery Unit recorded 63,071 employer settlements over the period 2021/22.
What are the most common causes of workplace injuries in Britain?
The three most common fatal injuries in the UK in 2021/22 were:
- Falls from a height (24%)
- Struck by moving vehicle (17%)
- Struck by moving, flying or falling object (15%)
Whereas the three most common causes of non-fatal injuries were:
- Slips, trips, or falls (30%)
- Handling, lifting or carrying (18%)
- Struck by moving object (11%)
What are the most dangerous British industries to work in?
Construction was the most dangerous industry in terms of fatalities, with 30 fatal injuries, followed by agriculture and manufacturing firms, with 22 each.
According to data from HSE’s kinds of accident statistics report, the leading single industries for non-fatal workplace accidents were manufacturing with 10,699 injuries, transportation and storage with 7,735, and construction with 4,185.
As you might expect, you’re more at risk of suffering a workplace injury if your job involves manual labour.
Which UK regions are the safest?
The five regions with the lowest total number of fatal injuries were:
- The North East (2)
- Wales (6)
- East Midlands (8)
- Yorkshire and The Humber (8)
- West Midlands (9)
However, looking at the number of non-fatal injuries tells a different story. The five regions with the lowest number of injuries per 100,000 employees were:
- London (148)
- The South East (201)
- The South West (223)
- East of England (238)
- Scotland (241)
How safe are British workplaces?
Britain appears to be an increasingly safer country to work in. The number of fatal injuries is trending downwards over time, and the number of compensation settlements is high, meaning that employees get access to the resources they need to recover when they are injured. In terms of total fatal injuries, The North East is the safest region to work in. But in terms of the proportionate number of non-fatal injuries, London is the safest. Businesses should choose the right safety equipment to prevent workplace injuries.
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