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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently released figures relating to the number of fatal injuries following accidents at work in the UK. The report states that 137 workers and 92 members of the public were fatally injured from work-related activities in 2016/2017.

According to the HSE, whilst the number of fatalities decreased by ten compared to the previous years, this could be attributed to natural fluctuation in the number of accidents occurring. The average number of workers killed during the course of their employment over the past five years is 142. 

The industries where accidents tend to occur

The majority of industries in which the fatalities occurred were:

  • construction
  • agriculture
  • manufacturing
  • transport
  • storage and waste

Fewer than one quarter (33) deaths occurred in other industry sectors including; communication, business services and finance; public administration; education; human health and social work activities; mining and quarrying and electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning.

What types of accidents usually result in fatality?

Most of the incidents in which the fatalities were sustained were:

  • workers being struck by a moving vehicle
  • falls from a height
  • being hit by a moving object
  • being trapped by something collapsing or overturning
  • contact with moving machinery 
  • contact with electricity.

Age

The age group with the highest fatalities was 16-59, where 98 people were killed. Surprisingly, given the age people usually retire, the number of people 60 and over was relatively high at 34, with the remaining ages not known. 

Gender

The majority (97%) of all worker fatalities were male, consistent with previous years. The HSE report states that the fatal injury rate for the self-employed is more than double than that for employees. This was for workers working mostly in agriculture and construction. 

Geography

The report comments on the fact that in terms of fatal injury rate, England has a consistently lower injury rate compared to that of either Scotland or Wales. However, it has to be noted that the injury rates are strongly influenced by variations in the mix of industries and occupations, and the country injury rate does not make allowance for the varying composition of the workforce between the three countries. 

However, in comparison to the rest of the EU, the UK consistently has one of the lowest rates of fatal injuries, and favourably compares with other large economies including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland. 

Public fatalities

During 2016/17, 92 members of the public were killed due to a work-connected accident. Of this total, 43 occurred on railways with a further 14 occurring in the health and social work sector. However, comparisons to previous years is more difficult, when taking into account the fact that in October 2013 the requirement to report suicides to members of the public (which accounted for a high proportion of railway deaths) was removed. Furthermore, as of 2015/16, the number of fatalities now excludes "patient and service users" deaths in England for premises registered with the Care Quality Commission. Prior to this, statistics were recorded as member of the public deaths in health and social care. 

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