Workplace fatality figures have been published by the Health and Safety Executive(HSE), reporting that a hundred and twenty-three workers were killed in work-related accidents in Great Britain in the last year
Workplace fatality figures were published yesterday (6 July 2022) and covered the period from April 2021 to March 2022.
The most common causes of fatal injuries continued to be falling from height (29), being struck by a moving vehicle (23) and being struck by a moving object (18).
Construction industry had the highest deaths
Industries with the highest deaths were construction (30), agriculture, forestry and fishing (22) and manufacturing (22); with agriculture, forestry and fishing having the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers.
The 123 work-related deaths in 2021/22 are lower than the previous year, though still in line with pre-pandemic figures. There has been a long-term downward trend in the rate of fatal injuries to workers, though in the years prior to the coronavirus pandemic the rate was broadly flat.
The figures relate to work-related accidents and do not include deaths arising from occupational diseases or diseases arising from certain occupational exposures (including Covid-19).
Deaths from asbestos-related cancer are predicted to decline over the next decade
HSE figures also show that 2,544 people died from mesothelioma in 2020, which is a cancer that can be caused by past exposure to asbestos. This data follows the average of 2,523 deaths over the previous eight years. Current mesothelioma deaths reflect exposure to asbestos that mainly occurred before the 1980s and annual deaths are expected to decline during the next decade.
HSE’s chief executive Sarah Albon said: “While Great Britain is one of the safest countries in the world to work, today’s figures show we must continue to ensure safety remains a priority. Every loss of life is a tragedy, and we are committed to making workplaces safer and holding employers to account for their actions, as part of our mission to protect people and places.”
