The Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) latest report on work-related fatalities paints a lamentably familiar picture. Here, we outline five key points from this year’s statistics, and how these must inform approaches to managing risk.
Article / 15 Aug 2024
A year in review: what the latest HSE statistics tell us about worker safety in 2024
Insight shared by:
Ensuring work environments are “safe and healthy” is, according to Ruth Wilkinson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), “now a fundamental principle and right at work”.
“There has been a rise in fatalities in construction, meaning the number of deaths in that industry is significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels,” she said, following the publication of the HSE’s statistics for work-related fatalities for 2023/24.
“There has also been a rise in the total number of workplace fatalities so it’s clear that lessons aren’t being learned and that much more still needs to be done to protect workers.”
Overall, the HSE’s annual statistics indicate that 138 workers were killed in work-related accidents in 2023/24, up from 136 the previous year.
Furthermore, although the rate of fatal injury to workers has shown a “downward trend” over the long-term, the number of fatal injuries has fluctuated between 130 and 150 for most of the decade, with the recent rate returning to pre-pandemic levels.
The report presents several key areas of risk, some of which are consistently highlighted by the HSE as having the highest rate of injury and fatality. These must inform approaches to analysing and managing risk if the UK is to protect its workers and reduce the number of fatalities across different sectors, including high-risk ones such as construction.
- Falls from height are still the most common cause of work-related fatalities: According to the report, 50 fatal injuries were due to falls from height in 2023/24, accounting for 36% of all worker deaths over the year. An increase on the previous year’s figure of 40, this suggests that risks concerning working from height are still not being effectively managed using the HSE’s hierarchy to reduce, remove, and mitigate the risks. Where possible, the need to work from height should be removed at the planning stage. Key regulations, such as INDG401 and the Work at Height Regulations must also be used to reduce and mitigate risk where work from height cannot be avoided.
- Construction once again accounts for the highest number of fatalities: From long and demanding hours to tight deadlines, the construction industry faces numerous challenges that exacerbate risk. This is reflected in the HSE’s latest statistics, which show that the industry once again accounted for the highest number of work-related fatalities in 2023/24. Increasing from 47 in 2022/23 to 51 in 2023/24, the number of fatalities in construction suggests that the industry has much to do to improve worker safety, particularly as activity increases following the General Election.
- Older members of the workforce are most at risk of fatal injury: Despite making up only 11% of the workforce, workers aged 60 and over accounted for 34% of all worker fatalities in 2023/24. The rate of fatal injury also appears to increase with age, with the HSE stating that “workers aged 60-64 [have] a rate around twice the all-ages rate”, while “workers aged 65 and over [have] a rate that is four times as high as the all-ages rate”. This is concerning considering that the number of people aged 65 and over in full-time employment has increased steadily over the past two decades, with more than one in nine people working past their 65th birthday, according to analysis of official ONS Labour Market statistics by the Centre for Ageing Better. While specific risk assessments are not always required for older workers, it is important for businesses to consider the activities required and involve older workers in assessing risk and making reasonable adjustments where needed. It is also important to be aware of workers who have done the same or similar tasks for a long period of time, as over-familiarity with work can lead to safety being overlooked.
- Risks must also be managed for self-employed workers and contractors: While the number of work-related fatalities to self-employed workers varies considerably by industry, the report shows that this group accounted for 36% of fatal injuries in 2023/24, despite only making up 15% of the workforce. Industries such as agriculture, forestry, and fishing presented the highest rate of fatal injury to self-employed workers. Whether a worker is an employee or a contractor, businesses have a legal responsibility to ensure their health and safety. This involves ensuring that every worker understands the safety procedures and is adequately trained, whether they are on the books or not.
- Protecting the public is a key concern: There has been a significant increase in the number of members of the public killed as a result of work-related activities, from 73 in 2022/23, to 87 in 2023/24. Under Section 3 of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974, employers have a duty to “ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety”. Businesses have a responsibility to ensure the safety of individuals who may come into contact with work activities, whether that is by managing the flow of workplace traffic safely, or by installing anti-trespassing measures.
Although the rate of fatal accidents at work is decreasing over the longer term, the recent yearly increase in the number of work-related fatalities does suggest that there is much still to be done. As activity in high-risk industries such as construction increases, so too will the need to ensure that workers go home safely at the end of each shift. Action in the form of updating and renewing risk assessments, ensuring regular refresher training and tool box talks take place and are recorded, ensuring all staff and visitors to site are fully and properly inducted, making sure your policies and procedures are being properly followed and having a robust and frequent auditing and monitoring regime is a must if the UK is to avoid another increase in the number of work-related fatalities next year and individuals and organisations wish to avoid becoming part of the statistics.