HSE publishes 2011/12 fatal injury statistics

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have published official statistics published which shows that the number of workers fatally injured in Britain last year remains largely unchanged.

The provisional data has been released for April 2011 to March 2012, which shows 173 workers were killed – down 2 from the previous year. The rate of fatal injury remains the same at 0.6 per 100,000 workers.

Judith Hackitt, the HSE Chair, commented:

“Britain continues to have one of the lowest levels of workplace fatal injuries in Europe, part of a long term downward trend.

“But we must not forget that these are lives cut short, not statistics – every single one of these deaths will have caused terrible grief and anguish for family and friends as well as workmates and colleagues. This is the real tragedy of health and safety failures – lives cut short and loved ones lost.

“We want employers to focus on the real risks that continue to cause death and serious injury. HSE is working very hard to make it easier for people to understand what they need to do and to focus on the real priorities. Protecting people from death and serious injury at work should be at the heart of what we all do.”

The figures also show the rate of fatal injuries in several of the key industrial sectors:

• 49 fatal injuries to construction workers were recorded – a rate of 2.3 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to an average of 59 deaths in the past five years and a decrease from the 50 deaths (and rate of 2.3) recorded in 2010/11
• 33 fatal injuries to agriculture workers were recorded – a rate of 9.7 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to an average of 35 deaths in the past five years and an increase from the 30 deaths (and rate of 8.7) recorded in 2010/11
• Five fatal injuries to waste and recycling workers were recorded – a rate of 4.1 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to an average of six deaths in the past five years and a decrease from the nine deaths (and rate of 8.4) recorded in 2010/11

National figures:

• 130 fatal injuries in England were recorded – a rate of 0.5 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to an average of 157 deaths in the past five years and a decrease from the 146 deaths (and rate of 0.6) recorded in 2010/11
• 20 fatal injuries in Scotland were recorded – a rate of 0.8 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to an average of 25 deaths in the past five years and an increase from the 14 deaths (and rate of 0.5) recorded in 2010/11
• 18 fatal injuries in Wales were recorded – a rate of 1.4 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to an average of 11 deaths in the past five years and an increase from the 11 deaths (and rate of 0.8) recorded in 2010/11

Summary:

• Fatal injuries are subject to chance variation, fluctuating year-on-year, therefore it is necessary to look at trends over a number of years. When the 2011/12 data is added to the time series, the trend for the latest four years appears to show a levelling-off in the previous downward trend.
• The figure of 173 worker deaths in 2011/12 is 12% lower than the average for the past five years (196). The latest rate of fatal injury of 0.6 compares to the five-year average rate of 0.7.
• The finalised figure for 2010/11 is 175, and corresponds to a rate of 0.6 deaths per 100 000 workers.
• There were 90 members of the public fatally injured in accidents connected to work in 2011/12 (excluding railways-related incidents).