The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its annual statistics, indicating a 10% rise in the costs of work-related ill-health.
HSE’s figures confirm that ill-health cost the UK £14.5 billion in 2023, compared to £13.1 billion in 2022.
Rates of work-related ill-health and working days lost are both higher than their 2018/19 pre-coronavirus levels. Stress, depression and anxiety remain the leading cause of work-related ill-health, accounting for 46% of all cases.
Also on the rise are work-related injuries. 604,000 non-fatal injuries were recorded, up 7% from the previous year. 31% of these injuries were caused by slips, trips and falls, making this by far the most common cause of injuries at work. That’s more than 187,000 accidents.
138 workers were killed in work-related accidents, a slight but noticeable rise from the 135 deaths last year. However, this stands in stark contrast to the 12,000 lung disease deaths every year. These deaths are estimated to be linked to past exposure to harmful substances at work. Similarly, 2,257 mesothelioma deaths in 2022 were linked to workers’ exposure to asbestos in the course of their duties.
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In total, the cost of work-related injuries and ill-health has remained steady at £21.6 billion, although the working days lost have fallen from 35.2 million to 33.7 million.
The majority of injury and ill-health costs fall to individuals – they bore £12.6 billion of the total, roughly 58% of the total bill. Total costs include ‘financial costs’ and ‘human costs’. These financial costs cover loss of output, healthcare costs and other payments made. Human costs are the monetary valuation given to pain, grief, suffering and loss of life.
Commenting on the statistics, HSE’s Chief Executive Sarah Albon said:
“This year marks 50 years since the legislation which established HSE was passed. Much has been achieved in that time, including a dramatic reduction of around 85 per cent in the numbers of employee fatal injuries in the workplace.
“Today, Great Britain is one of the safest places in the world to work but these statistics serve as a reminder that there is still room for further improvement, and we remain committed to ensuring people remain safe and healthy wherever work is taking place.”
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