HSE Publishes Workplace Fatality Figures

In July, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published its annual workplace fatality figures for the 2021-22 period.

Figures published revealed that a total of 123 workers died in work-related incidents between April  2021 and March 2022, with construction accounting for 30 of these deaths (the highest of any other industry).

This year was of particular note, as it was the first statistics to be released since the UK was, for the most part, free from pandemic restrictions. This meant that construction sites were back up and running, following a two-year period of intermittent working periods due to lockdowns and restrictions, and therefore workers were once again exposed to the risks associated with construction work.

Falls from height were once again the most common cause of fatal injury for workers (29), followed by being struck by a moving vehicle (23) and being struck by a moving object (18).

Rates of workplace fatalities have been steadily declining long-term, and despite the 123 deaths, Great Britain remains one of the safest places in the work to work.

Speaking of the figures, HSE Chief Executive, Sarah Albon, has 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.”