The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its 2024 statistics on workplace health and safety in Great Britain, providing an interesting (if somewhat bleak) overview of the current state of the workplace.

Key Figures

The report reveals a mixed picture, with progress in some areas but persistent difficulties in others:

• Work-related ill health: 1.7 million workers reported ill health in 2023/24, with 776,000 of these cases linked to stress, depression, or anxiety.

• Workplace injuries: 604,000 workers reported non-fatal injuries, while 138 fatalities were recorded.

• Economic impact: The total cost of workplace injuries and ill health reached £21.6 billion annually.  The costs are calculated so as to include direct financial costs and ‘human costs’ like pain, grief, suffering and loss of life.

Work-Related Ill Health

Work-related ill health remains a critical issue, with mental health concerns being the single largest area of concern:

• Stress, depression, and anxiety accounted for approaching half of all cases, affecting 776,000 workers. These conditions led to 16.4 million working days lost, highlighting the significant impact.

• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) affected 543,000 workers, with 7.8 million working days lost. Many of these cases often arise in what might be considered ‘typical’ forms of employment.  However, ‘construction’ is only the second industry on the list.  ‘Admin and support service activities’ is the highest area for such injury, perhaps surprisingly.

• Occupational lung disease continues to cause significant mortality, with 12,000 annual deaths estimated to be linked to past occupational exposure.  2,257 of these deaths were recorded as being to mesothelioma.  There were 20,000 estimated new cases of breathing or lung disease caused or made worse by work (self-reported figures from the Labour Force Survey).

Workplace Injuries

The report’s injury statistics are striking:

• 604,000 workers reported non-fatal injuries, with 61,663 of these officially reported under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations).

• Fatal injuries (138 workers in 2023/24) have seen a long-term decline though this has flattened out more recently.

• Non-fatal injuries: Most common causes include slips, trips, and falls (31%), handling/ lifting injuries (17%), and being struck by moving objects (10%). These trends highlight areas where employers are most likely to face claims.

Economic Impact

The report reveals the staggering costs of all of the above:

• Cost of £21.6 billion annually, with £14.5 billion attributed to ill health (including long-term latency illness) and £7.1 billion to workplace injuries.

• Individuals bear the brunt of these costs (£12.6 billion), followed by the Government (£4.9 billion) and employers (£4.1 billion).

Industry-Specific Insights

Some industries face disproportionate risks:

• Healthcare, education, and public administration: High rates of stress-related illnesses.

• Admin/ support service activities, construction and transportation: High rates of musculoskeletal disorders and physical injuries.

• Hospitality and retail: High non-fatal injury rates.

Other Trends

• While fatal injuries have declined significantly, the rates of mental health issues have risen, especially post-pandemic.

• The UK constantly has had amongst the lowest figures for fatal injury across Europe.  It also compares favourably in relation to non-fatal injuries and work-related ill health.