Executive Summary of Education Industry Safety Statistics

Executive Summary of the HSE Report: Education Statistics in Great Britain

This summary presents an easy-to-understand overview of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report providing detailed insights into education statistics as of March 2023. The focus is on 10 key figures to illustrate the health and safety trends in the education sector.

1. 174,000 workers reported work-related ill health

Combining both new and long-standing cases from the period of 2020/21 to 2022/23, 174,000 workers in the education sector reported suffering from work-related ill health. This represents a flat trend compared to the pre-coronavirus period, but a higher rate than the 2014/15-2016/17 cycle (source: LFS).

2. Zero fatal injuries to workers in 2022/23

Neither the year 2022/23 nor the five-year period prior, recorded any fatal injuries to workers. However, there were 2 fatal injuries to members of the public in 2022/23 (source: RIDDOR).

3. 36,000 workers sustained non-fatal injuries averages over 2020/21-2022/23

During this three-year period, the rate of non-fatal injuries was broadly consistent, declining slightly compared to pre-coronavirus level (source: LFS).

4. The workforce in the Education sector accounts for 11% of the total workforce in Great Britain

This ratio includes workers at every level of education, from pre-primary to adult education (source: Annual Population Survey, 2022).

5. 55% of ill health cases were stress, depression, or anxiety

Stress, depression, and anxiety accounted for the majority of health complaints amongst educators, significantly higher than the average across all industries, at 55% (source: LFS).

6. 19% of all health issues in this sector are related to musculoskeletal disorders

About 33,000 workers in the education field had a musculoskeletal disorder, amounting to 19% of all ill health reports in the sector (source: LFS)

7. Non-fatal injuries stand at 1.1% in the Education sector

Reported non-fatal injuries are statistically significantly lower in this sector than other industries, (1.5%) representing just 1.1% of education workers (source: LFS).

8. 4,845 non-fatal injuries to employees were reported by employers under RIDDOR in 2022/23

Based on employer reports, there were 4,845 non-fatal injuries in 2022/23 in the Education sector. Of these, 2,011 were specified injuries, and 2,834 resulted in incapacitation for over seven days (source: RIDDOR).

9. The total cost of health issues and injuries is estimated at £1.9 billion

In 2021/22, the combined cost of work-related ill health and injuries for the Education sector stood at £1.9 billion, representing 9% of the total cost of all work-related ill health and injuries (£20.6 billion) (source: HSE Costs to Britain, 2021/22).

10. On average, 3 million working days are lost annually due to injury and ill health

Every year, around 3 million full days of work are lost due to workplace injuries and work-related illnesses. This is equivalent to approximately 1.2 working days lost per worker, similar to the all industry level (1.1 days) (source: LFS).

Conclusion

In conclusion, this summary lays out significant findings from the Health and Safety Executive report on education statistics for 2023. Ill health cases, particularly stress, depression, and anxiety, are prevalent. Although non-fatal injuries are less common in the Education sector compared to other industries, the resulting costs remain significant.