UK Workplace Fatality Statistics

The latest UK workplace fatality statistics released by HSE reveal a slight increase from 136 deaths in 2013/2014 to 142 in 2014/2015*. The general trend remains positive with the number of fatalities being halved over the past 20 years, but this trend has been less clear since 2009.

Other headline figures revealed by the statistics are: –

• 35 fatal injuries to construction workers were recorded – a rate of 1.62 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to an average of 45 deaths in the past five years and a decrease from the 44 deaths recorded in 2013/14 and 22% lower than the fiver-year average for the sector
•  A rate of 0.46 deaths per 100,000 workers during 2014/2015, which is roughly in line with the five-year average of 0.53
• The North West was the region with the highest number of fatalities during 2014/2015, with a total of 20 workplace deaths being recorded, followed by the South West with 19, Yorkshire & the Humber with 15 and East Midlands with 14. The North East recorded the lowest number of fatalities in the period with 1

• There were 102 members of the public fatally injured in accidents connected to work in 2014/15 (excluding railways-related incidents)
• Based on the latest available data, from 2012, Britain continues to have the lowest rate of fatal injuries to workers in Europe
• Of the ‘big 5’ European nations, France has the least desirable incidence rate, with 2.64 fatalities per 100,000 workers**
• Europe’s worst incidence rate is in the Baltic state of Latvia, who have much to do to improve an incidence rate of 4.70**

The HSE’s full year details for 2014/2015 are available here.

*Provisional figures

** 2009/2011