Work deaths fall to a new low
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reported that the number of work related deaths has fallen to an all time low. The data shows that 180 workers were killed between the 1st April 2008 and 31st March 2009, a rate of 0.6% percent per 100,000 workers down from 233 workers in 2007/2008.
Judith Hackitt, the HSE chairman, said: “There is inevitably variation in the figures year on year, but we can take heart from the fact that Great Britain consistently has fewer fatal injuries than comparable industrialised nations in the rest of Europe."This statistical snapshot needs careful analysis to help us to understand underlying factors, including the impact of the recession.”
“Statistics on fatal injuries do not give us the whole picture. Work-related ill health is a significant problem and accounts for four times more working days lost than workplace injury, so there is still a major challenge we all face to prevent death, injury and ill health in all of our workplaces.”
Updated on 29/06/2009