work place safety

Accidents at work – latest statistics from The Health & Safety Executive

May 30, 2017/in , /by

The latest statistics from the Health & Safety Executive covering 2016:

  • 1.3 million working people suffering from a work-related illness
  • 2,515 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures
  • 144 workers killed at work
  • 72,702 other injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
  • 621,000 injuries occurred at work according to the Labour Force Survey
  • 30.4 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
  • £14.1 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions

This government’s attitude for many years has been that health and safety legislation is just so much ‘red tape’ and this mindset, aided and abetted by the insurance lobby, has been compounded by economic pressure heaped on many employers to reduce the standards of care expected by the workforce.

These statistics show that a strong regulatory framework is a fundamental cornerstone of worker safety in the UK and that any attempt to water down provision will put lives at risk.

Bonnar Accident Law is one of Scotland’s leading accident at work solicitors.