The latest work-related fatality statistics for Great Britain reveal that 135 people were killed in accidents at work last year.
Published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) this month, the annual figures cover the period from April 2022 until March 2023 and detail work-related fatalities.
Britain’s health and safety watchdog says that the industries with the highest rate of fatal injuries were the construction (45), agriculture, forestry and fishing (21), manufacturing (15), and transportation and storage (15) sectors.
The work-related fatality statistics also show that the most common cause of death were falls from height, which claimed 40 lives during 2022-23.
Being struck by a moving object (29) and being struck by a moving vehicle (20) were also common causes of death at work last year.
Each work-related fatality is a ‘tragedy’
The HSE’s annual figures show that Great Britain continues to be one of the safest places in the world to work, but their CEO stresses that each life lost represents a “tragedy.”
Although the total of 135 worker deaths for 2022-23 was higher than the previous year (123), it is broadly in line with workplace fatality figures recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic. Overall, there has thankfully been a long-term downward trend in workplace fatalities, though in the years before the pandemic the rate had remained broadly flat.
In addition to the 135 workers who lost their lives, a further 68 members of the general public were killed as a result of a work-related incident last year. This represents a decrease of 20 from 2021-22.
The HSE’s Chief Executive, Sarah Albon, commented on the figures:
“Any loss of life in the workplace is a tragedy.
“While these figures show Great Britain is one of the safest countries in the world to work, safety must continue to be at the top of everyone’s agenda.
“Our mission is to protect people and places and we remain committed to maintaining safe workplaces and holding employers to account for their actions.”
More work-related fatalities as a result of asbestos
The watchdog has also published annual figures for the number of people affected by mesothelioma, a cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos.
The latest figures reveal that 2,268 people died from this disease in 2021. This figure represents a drop-off of 302 from the 2,570 people who died as a result of mesothelioma in 2020 and is substantially lower than the average number of annual deaths recorded between 2012-2019 (2,520).
The HSE explains that asbestos-related diseases such as a mesothelioma take decades to develop and that the vast majority of people who are affected by them today were exposed to the deadly fibres before the use of asbestos was banned in Britain in 1999.
Asbestos regulations have resulted in a significant reduction in exposure and the number of people going on to develop asbestos-related illnesses is expected to fall as more years pass since the tightening of controls.
HSE launched its campaign Asbestos & You to help raise awareness of the risks associated with the deadly substance.
Asbestos remains present in many older buildings but regulations state that it must be managed, maintained in a good condition and left undisturbed. If this level of safety cannot be achieved, then it must be safely removed following regulations and approved practices to avoid dangerous exposure.
Training is vital for worker safety
First Response Training (FRT) is one of the UK’s largest and leading national training providers.
They deliver a wide and diverse range of training for businesses and organisations across all industry sectors and throughout the UK. Their course range includes training in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, mental health, food safety, health and social care and more.
Their health and safety training is mapped to UK standards and legislation and follows HSE guidelines. The portfolio includes courses such as Health and Safety, Managing Health and Safety, Risk Assessment, Accident and Incident Investigation, Working at Height, Asbestos Awareness and many more.
Based on a common sense, proportionate approach to workplace safety, training helps learners to understand the true benefits of creating a healthy and safe environment at work.
A trainer from FRT explains:
“We believe in creating safer working environments with people who care.
“It is fantastic to see that Britain maintains its impressive workplace safety record, but any life lost at work is one too many and we must continue to be vigilant about health and safety standards and ensure we are providing suitable and sufficient training for our staff as well as appropriate control measures, safe systems of work and procedures to protect them from harm.”
For more information on any of the training courses that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com.