The Health and Safety Executive releases updated figures on workplace injuries and fatalities annually, and its latest report has cast a light on many areas’ alarming increases in worker injuries.
Nationally, there was an increase of 22.66% in non-fatal injuries reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the last year: this national trend is to be expected as a result of workplaces reopening fully after being closed due to the pandemic.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 sets out the duties that employers have towards their staff, including the requirement to assess risks, provide adequate training and equipment, and maintain a safe working environment. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the regulatory body responsible for enforcing these laws and can take action against employers who fail to comply.
The HSE recommends that risk assessments should be conducted regularly to ensure that workplace risks are identified and managed appropriately, especially whenever there is a change in working conditions, processes, or procedures that could impact the health and safety of employees. This could include changes in the workforce, equipment, or materials used. In addition, risk assessments should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they remain up-to-date and effective in identifying and managing workplace risks.
Methodology
The Health and Safety Executive uses reported workplace injury data to calculate the average number of injuries per 100,000 workers in different locations. All of the districts have been sorted highest to lowest injuries per 100,000 workers, and given a ranking on how they fare nationally. The data used is from the latest reported year: 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022, and the one year previous (1st April 2020 to 31st March 2021).
We have then calculated the increase in actual worker injuries in each area, as well as the national increase to allow for comparisons.
View the Datasheet