Provisional annual data for work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain’s workplaces has been released by HSE (6th July 2016). The long term trend has seen the rate of fatalities more than halve over the last 20 years. However, provisional figures indicate that 144 people were killed while at work in 2015/2016 – up from 142 in 2014/5.
The new statistics reveal the following regarding the construction sector:
- Construction – there were 43 fatal injuries to workers in construction compared to 35 in 2014/15 and the five year average of 43. The latest rate of fatal injury is 1.94 per 100,000 workers, compared to 1.62 in the period 2014/15 and a five-year average of 2.04.
The other headlines are:
- Number and Rate – the provisional figure for the number of workers fatally injured in 2015/16 is 144, and corresponds to a rate of fatal injury of 0.46 deaths per 100,000 workers;
- Five year average – the figure of 144 worker deaths in 2015/16 is 7% lower than the average for the past five years (155). The latest rate of fatal injury of 0.46 compares to the five-year average rate of 0.52;
- Long term trend – over the latest 20-year time period there has been a downward trend in the rate of fatal injury, although in recent years this shows signs of levelling off; and
- Public deaths – there were 67 members of the public fatally injured in accidents connected to work in 2015/16 (excluding incidents relating to railways, and those enforced by the Care Quality Commission).
