The Health and Safety at Work Act, which puts a duty of care on an employer to provide a safe working environment for their employees, has been in place for 40 years and has helped make Britain one of the safest countries to work in. Having said that, the latest annual figures reported by the Health and Safety Executive (www.HSE.gov.uk) show that work place injuries are still a reasonably common occurrence and there are still a number of serious injuries sustained in the workplace. Lost working days due to accidents at work have a significant impact on society.
- 133 workers killed at work (2013/14)
- 2,535 mesothelioma deaths in 2012 due to past asbestos exposures
- 78,000 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences) (2012/13)
- 175,000 over-7-day absence injuries occurred (LFS) (2012/13)
- 1.1 million working people were suffering from a work-related illness (2011/12)
- 27 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury (2011/12)
- Workplace injuries and ill health (excluding cancer) cost society an estimated £13.8 billion in 2010/11
(Source: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/)
Accidents at work can include trips, slips, injuries caused by machines, falls from ladders or scaffolding, being hit by falling objects, or more serious injuries from fire and explosion. Injuries, such as repetitive strain injuries, can also be caused by the environment in which you work. For more information on work environment injuries click here.
If you have been injured whilst at work and it wasn’t your fault, use our Compensation Calculator to find out how much your claim may be worth. Alternatively contact our team for a free no-obligation evaluation of your case to find out if you can make a claim.
