Health and safety statistics 2006/07

1 Health and safetystatistics 2006/072A National statistics publicationNational statistics are produced to high professionalstandards set out in the National statistics Code of undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensurethat they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political and safety statistics highlights factspage 5 Work-related ill healthSelf-reported ill healthpage 6 Reports of ill Health by doctors and specialist physicianspage 7 Ill Health assessed for industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB)page 7 Fatal diseasespage 8 Workplace injuriesFatal injuries to workerspage 9 Reported non-fatal injuriespage 10 Labour Force Survey and reporting of injuriespage 11 Injuries to members of the publicpage 12 Industry sectorsIll Health and injuries by industry sectorpage 13 Working conditionsWorker perspectivepage 14 Employer perspectivepage 15 Countries and regionsIll Health .

2 Injuries and enforcement by country and regionpage 16 Progress against targetsProgress on work-related ill Health incidencepage 18 Progress on fatal and major injuriespage 20 Progress on working days lostpage 224 Health and safety statistics highlights noticespage 24 Prosecutions taken by HSEpage 25 Prosecutions taken by local authoritiespage 26 Sources and definitionspage 275 Health and safety statistics highlights factsThis document gives the latest statistics on work-related Health andsafety in Great Britain. More detail is at facts for 2006/07 are:Ill millionpeople were suffering from an illness they believed wascaused or made worse by their current or past 000of these were new cases in the last 12 died of mesothelioma (2005), and thousands more fromother occupational cancers and lung were killed at work, a rate of per 100 000 350other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR, arate of per 100 000 000reportable injuries occurred, according to the Labour ForceSurvey (LFS), a rate of 1000 per 100 000 days lost36 milliondays were lost overall ( days per worker), 30 milliondue to work-related ill Health and 6 million due to workplace and safety targets: progress to 2006/07 Ill Health .

3 Not on trackto meet Revitalisingor PSA and major injuries: on trackto meet Revitalisingand lost per worker: not on trackto meet Revitalisingor were prosecuted by were prosecuted by local authorities (2005/06).6 Health and safety statistics highlights and safety statistics highlights 2005 Self-reported ill Health In 2006/07 an estimated million people suffered from ill healthwhich they thought was work-related, according to the LFS. Around three quarters of the cases were musculoskeletal disorders(eg upper limb or back problems) or stress, depression or mainly affectedLower limbs mainly affectedStress, depression or anxietyBreathing or lung problemsHearing problemsUpper limbs or neck mainly affectedAny musculoskeletal disorderFigure 1.

4 Estimated prevalence of self-reported work-related illness, by type of complaint, 2006/07 Estimated prevalence (thousands)95% confidence intervalType of complaint 2006/07 prevalence (thousands) Central95%estimateconfidence intervallowerupperMusculoskeletal disorders1 1441 0941 193mainly affecting the back493461526mainly affecting the upper limbs or neck426396456mainly affecting the lower limbs224203245 Stress,depression or anxiety530496565 Breathing or lung problems142125159 Hearing problems756387To tal2 2002 1312 269 Note:Some types of complaint are not listed (eg heart disease, skin problems) and so the estimates do notsum to the and safety statistics highlights of ill Health by doctors and specialistphysicians For a number of years surveillance schemes have monitored newcases of work-related ill Health seen by hospital specialists andoccupational physicians.

5 Over the last three years these specialistschemes have, on average, identified about 22 000 newdiagnoses of work-related illness per year. Since 2005 a new surveillance scheme has collected reports froma sample of around 300 general practitioners (GPs). In 2006musculoskeletal disorders were the most common type of work-related illness reported to this scheme followed by mental illhealth. This pattern is similar to that seen from the Health assessed for industrial injuries disablementbenefit (IIDB) Figures for the last three years show that an average of just over6300 cases were assessed for IIDB. The largest categories werevibration white finger, carpal tunnel syndrome and respiratorydiseases associated with past exposures to substances such asasbestos and coal disordersOther diagnosesRespiratory diseaseAudiological disorders0%10%20%30%70%40%50%60%Skin diseaseMental ill healthFigure 2: Proportion of cases and days lost by diagnosis as reported by General Practitioners for 2006 DiagnosesDays lost3%2%4%4%1%1%9%1%29%58%54%34%8 Health and safety statistics highlights diseases Each year thousands of people die from work-related diseasesmainly due to exposures many years ago.

6 The number of cancer deaths must be estimated rather thancounted. HSE is currently updating its estimates but theemerging information suggests that the annual number of work-related cancer deaths is likely to be in excess of 6000. An estimated 4000 cancer deaths each year are due to exposureto asbestos. In 2005 there were 134 deaths from asbestosis (as underlyingcause), and 210 from other types of pneumoconiosis, mostly dueto coal dust and silica. Around 15% of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD including bronchitis and emphysema) may be work related. Thissuggests there could be some 4000 COPD deaths each year dueto past occupational exposures to fumes, chemicals and 3: MesotheliomaDisablement benefit (IIDB) casesDeath certificates Deaths from mesothelioma have increased from 153 in 1968 to2037 in 2005.

7 Latest projections suggest that they will peaksomewhere between current levels and 2450 deaths some timebetween 2011 and 2015. Mesothelioma deaths reflect industrial conditions of decades ago;deaths in men aged under 55 have been falling since the mid-1990s, suggesting better control more and safety statistics highlights and safety statistics highlights 2005 Fatal injuries to workers There were 241 workers fatally injured in 2006/07 (provisional), andthis corresponds to a rate of fatal injury of per 100 000workers. In 2005/06, the figures were 217 and respectively. Although the longer-term trend in the fatal injury rate is downwards,there has been little change over the last five years. Of the main industrial sectors, construction and agriculture havethe highest rates of fatal injury.

8 In 2006/07 , these two sectorstogether account for 46% of fatal injuries to workers, with 77 and34 fatalities of fatal injuriesRate of fatal injuryFigure 4: Number and rate of fatal injuries to workers 1996/97 - 2006/07p Rate of fatal injury per 100 000 of fatal injuries06/07pEmployees Self-employed Workers YearNumberRate (a)NumberRate (b)NumberRate (c)1999/00 (a) per 100 000 employees (b) per 100 000 self-employed (c) per 100 000 workers10 Health and safety statistics highlights non-fatal injuries 28 267 major injuries to employees were reported in 2006/07 . Therate of injury was per 100 000, down 3% on the previousyear. Over one third were caused by slipping and tripping.

9 There were 113 083 other injuries to employees causing absenceof over 3 days. This is equivalent to a rate of , which is 6%lower than 2005/06. Two fifths were caused by handling, lifting of major injuriesRate of major injuryFigure 5: Number and rate of reported major injuries to employees Rate of reported major injury per 100 000 employees020406080100120140 Number of reported major injuries05/0606/07pYearEmployees Self-employed Workers NumberRate (a)NumberRate (b)NumberRate (c)Major injury2004/0530 injury2004/05121 (a) per 100 000 employees (b) per 100 000 self-employed (c) per 100 000 workersNote:See page 28 for definitions of major and over-3-day and safety statistics highlights Force Survey and reporting of injuries The rate of reportable injury estimated from the Labour ForceSurvey (LFS) was 1000 per 100 000 workers in 2006/07 , astatistically significant fall since 2004/05.

10 Comparing this with the RIDDOR rate of reported major and over-3-day injury, the estimated level of reporting by employerswas 54%.02006001000140018001999/002003/04200 4/052002/032000/012001/02 Rate of non-fatal injuryFigure 6: Rate of reportable non-fatal injury to employees and LFS rate of reportable non-fatal injury to workers95% confidence intervalLFS rate of reportable non-fatal injury per 100 000 workers2005/062006/07 Rate of RIDDOR-reported non-fatal injury per 100 000 employeesRIDDOR-reported injuryLFS reportableEstimated rate to employees (a)injury rate to workers (b)percentage ofCentral95% confidence intervalinjuries reportedestimatelowerupper1999/006671 5301 4301 63044%2001/026241 5001 4001 60042%2002/036181 4901 3901 60041%2003/046351 3101 2101 41048%2004/055901 2001 1001 29049%2005/065651 0909901 18052%2006/07p5351 0009101 09054%(a) per 100 000 employees (b)