Health and Safety Executive Reports Fatal Accidents at Work Up by 10%

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its annual report on work-related ill-health and injury statistics for the period ending 2022/23.

The report states that work-related fatalities rose in 2022, increasing by 10% to  123. 26 of those deaths occurred in Scotland. Once again, the Construction industry saw the most deaths UK-wide, with 45 workers losing their lives.

Nearly 600,000 workers were injured in accidents at work throughout Great Britain, leading to the loss of around six million working days.

In addition, 2,500 workers developed mesothelioma due to historical exposure to asbestos during their employment. A further 10,000 workers died because of lung disease and other lung-related illnesses.

Dallas McMillan’s Head of Litigation Gordon Bell said:

“While the statistics reported by the HSE make for unpleasant reading, the report at least reinforces the point that employers must continue to do more to ensure the safety of their workers and to do all they can to avoid accidents and fatalities in the workplace.”

Dallas McMillan’s expert team have amassed decades' worth of experience in dealing with workplace accidents and disease claims. If you or a family member have been involved in any type of workplace accident, please contact us.

Health and safety statistics

Key figures for Great Britain (2021/22)

• 8 million working people suffering from a work-related illness, of which
  • 914,000workers suffering work-related stress, depression or anxiety
  • 477,000workers suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder
  • 123,000workers suffering from COVID-19 which they believe may have been from exposure to coronavirus at work
• 2,268mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2021)
• 135workers killed in work-related accidents (2022/23)
• 565,000working people sustained an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey
• 61,713injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
• 8 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
• £18.8 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2019/20)

Source: The HSE annual work-related ill-health and injury statistics for 2021/22.