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The HSE Release Their Health and Safety at Work 2021/22 Statistics

News

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have released their ‘Health and Safety at Work 2021/22’ statistics. These latest figures highlight why it is so important to install adequate hazard control solutions on-site, which will not only protect workers; but it will also help with their long-term health.

Key Figures Include:

1.8 million workers suffering from work-related ill health (new or long-standing) in 2021/22.
722,000 workers suffering from a new case of work-related ill health in 2021/22.
30.8 million working days lost due to work-related ill health in 2021/22.
13,000 deaths each year are estimated to be linked to past exposure at work, primarily to chemicals or dust.

19,000 estimated new cases of breathing or lung problems caused or made worse by work annually over the last three years, according to self-reports from the Labour Force Survey.
12,000 lung disease deaths each year are estimated to be linked to past exposures at work.
Occupational lung diseases account for around 12,000 of the 13,000 total annual deaths estimated to be linked to past exposures at work.

HSE estimates that breathing metal fume at work leads to 40-50 welders each year being hospitalised.

An estimated 11,000 workers were reported with work-related hearing problems, 2019/20 to 2021/22 (LFS).
10 new cases of occupational deafness in 2021 (IIDB).

0.5 million work-related musculoskeletal disorder cases (new or long-standing) in 2021/22.
The construction sector had one of the highest rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders for the period 2019/20-2021/22.

0.6 million workers sustaining a non-fatal injury in 2021/22.
Non-fatal injuries to employees by most common accident include slips, trips or falls at 30%, handling, lifting or carrying at 18%, struck by moving object at 11% and falls from a height at 8% (as reported by employers) in 2021/22.
123 workers killed in work-related accidents in 2021/22.

In addition to these statistics, the HSE state that exposure to silica, diesel engine exhaust, solar radiation, shift work, painting and welding work might become the main causes of occupational cancer in the future, according to the estimate of the research study.