Health and Safety Executive Celebrates 50th Anniversary
The national regulator for workplace health and safety turns 50 in 2025. Watch the Video > The body was created on 1 January...
Read Full ArticleThe Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its annual figures for the number of work-related fatalities in 2019/20.
The provisional annual data for work-related fatal accidents revealed that 111 workers were fatally injured at work between April 2019 and March 2020 (a rate of 0.34 deaths per 100,000 workers), the lowest year on record.
This represents a fall of 38 deaths from the previous year, though it is likely that this fall was accentuated by the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the economy in the final two months of the year.
While there has been a long-term reduction in the number of annual fatalities (the number has almost halved in the last 20 years), aside from the current fall, the number has remained broadly level in recent years.
In line with previous years’ fatal injury statistics, these figures do not include deaths from occupational disease. COVID-19 infection is therefore not part of these figures and will not feature in fatal injury statistics in subsequent years, says the HSE.
“No one should be hurt or killed by the work they do. In these extraordinary times, we have seen many workers risking their lives to help others during the coronavirus outbreak. Although these statistics are not a reflection on COVID-19 related loss of life, it is a pertinent time to reflect.”
–Sarah Albon
Chief Executive, HSE
Following the release, HSE’s chief executive, Sarah Albon, commented: “No one should be hurt or killed by the work they do. In these extraordinary times, we have seen many workers risking their lives to help others during the coronavirus outbreak. Although these statistics are not a reflection on COVID-19 related loss of life, it is a pertinent time to reflect.
“Every workplace fatality is a tragedy and while we are encouraged by this improvement, today’s statistics is a reminder that we cannot become complacent as we look to continue to work together to make Great Britain an even safer place to live and work.
“These statistics remind us that in certain sectors of the economy, fatal injury in the workplace remains worryingly high. Agriculture, forestry and fishing account for a small fraction of the workforce of Great Britain, yet accounted for around 20 per cent of worker fatalities in the last year. This is unacceptable and more must be done to prevent such fatalities taking place.
“Work-related deaths fracture families, they shatter communities, and so many of them can be avoided. The work that HSE does is about more than numbers, we are continually working with duty holders to ensure that they assess and appropriately manage risk to their employees. These efforts are a vital part of keeping essential services going, particularly as duty holders adapt to the current circumstances.”
Further information on the annual figures can be found here.
Picture: A close-up photograph of a cordoned-off area, with yellow tape stating the word "caution"
Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 14 July 2020
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