Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
Gender equality
Practice meets perfect
May/June 2023 issue

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
    • Member accolades
    • Member tributes
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Achieving Fellowship
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Knowledge Bank
    • Back to basics
    • Book club
    • Infographics
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
      • Achieving Fellowship
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Topics
  • Health
  • Occupational cancer
  • Asbestos
Regulation/enforcement
Agriculture and forestry
Construction
Manufacturing and engineering
Mining and quarrying
Transport and logistics
News

UK fatality rate still on plateau, says HSE

Open-access content Thursday 7th July 2016
From the archive:  Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.

hse_0

This latest fatal injury rate is 7% lower than the five-year (2010-11 to 2014-15) average rate of 0.52 per 100,000 workers (155 deaths).

These figures indicate that the downward trend of workplace deaths -- which has more than halved over the last 20 years -- is levelling off, the HSE said.

The 2015-16 statistics, which cover the 12 months from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016, are provisional and will be finalised in July next year. This means that the figure of 144 could change.

The fatal injury rate of 1.94 per 100,000 workers in the construction sector in 2015-16 is lower than the five-year average of 2.04. Forty-three construction workers died last year, a rise on last year's total of 35 and the same as the average for the previous five years. This figure includes one person who was killed during the collapse of Didcot Power Station in February, but does not take into account the three whose bodies have not yet been recovered. Statisticians refer to the rate of accidents rather than the absolute total because it smooths out the effect of variations in numbers employed in the economy year to year.

The manufacturing industry, however, has seen a significant increase in the number of workplace deaths. There were 27 fatalities last year, 23% higher than the five-year average of 22. The latest rate is 0.92, compared with an average rate of 0.79 over the previous five years. Eight of those fatalities were caused by three incidents, two of which led to two deaths each. The third, an explosion at the Wood Treatment plant in Bosley, Cheshire on 17 July 2015, killed four workers.

There were also 27 fatalities in agriculture, though this is lower than the five-year average of 32. The rate for 2015-16 is 7.73, compared to the five-year average rate of 9.40.

There were some 5.71 deaths per 100,000 working in waste and recycling last year, up from the five year annual average of 5.59. A total of six workers were killed in this sector during the 2015-16 period, compared to the five-year average of seven.

In addition to the 144 workplace deaths in 2015-16, 103 members of the public were also fatally injured in accidents connected to work. Thirty-six (35%) of those related occurred on railways.

Commenting on the fatality figures, IOSH president Dr Karen McDonnell said: "Britain is renowned the world over for its health and safety systems. The release of these figures, however, is a timely reminder of the need to continue to improve working conditions, both in Britain and across the world." Click here for IOSH's response in full.

Martin Temple, chair of the HSE, said: "Britain has one of the best health and safety systems in the world, but we should always be looking to improve and to prevent incidents that cost lives.

"This year HSE travelled the country asking industry representatives, employers, unions, workers and others what they could do to help GB work well. The response was hugely encouraging and I would like to ask people to deliver on the commitments made, that will help keep Britain's workers alive."

The executive has also released the latest available figures on deaths from asbestos-related cancer. Mesothelioma, one of the few work-related diseases where deaths can be counted directly, contracted through past exposure to asbestos killed 2,515 people in Great Britain in 2014 compared with 2,556 in 2013.

Sentencing guidelines and a new era of penalties webinar:
If you missed our live webinar event on Monday (11 July), watch it here

You may also be interested in...

 IOSH conference report

Monday 25th July 2016
Words: Louis Wustemann, Mark Glover, Keeley DowneyIOSH 2016, the third in the institution’s cycle of conferences on the OSH leadership theme, was headed “influential leadership”. The characteristics of good leaders and of those they depend on was a recurring topic over the event’s two days at ExCel London.
Open-access content

 Unified theory

Tuesday 14th June 2016
As any fan of sci-fi films knows, the first thing invading aliens always say when they slither, swoop, or step down from their landing craft on to planet Earth is “we come in peace”. As we also know, this rarely proves to be the case. No sooner have they withdrawn their spindly green arms from the friendly handshakes with the (usually) American president than they’re running amok with laser weapons, annihilating the planet’s occupants in their real quest, which is to commandeer our water, or our brains, or something.
Open-access content
© West Midlands Fire Service

 Five dead in recycling plant wall collapse

Friday 8th July 2016
Louise Hunt, senior coroner for Solihull and Birmingham, opened inquests into the five deaths on 20 July and immediately adjourned them, pending investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the police. The five workers were killed when a 4.5 m concrete wall collapsed on them at a recycling facility in Birmingham.The wall, at Hawkeswood Metal Recycling’s Aston Park Road plant, comprised 1.5-tonne blocks. It gave way just before 9am on 7 July, causing tonnes of scrap metal behind it to fall on top.
Open-access content

 Crane hire worker killed in roof fall

Monday 4th July 2016
The victim was an employee of A-Lift Crane Hire, which had been hired by Premier Roofing Systems to supply a crane to lift roofing sheets at food products supplier Virani Foods’ factory of in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.As the sheets were being lifted onto the roof, the employee fell through an unprotected skylight and died as a result of his injuries.The Health and Safety Executive investigated the accident, which happened on 9 August 2013, and found no preventative measures to allow operatives to work safely on the roof.
Open-access content

 Worker in excavator crush on school demolition site

Tuesday 12th July 2016
Complete Demolition had been contracted to demolish a school at Stanney Lane, Ellesmere Port in Cheshire to make way for a new leisure centre. On 27 November 2013, while the site was being cleared, a skip truck driver reversed into a space that a 40 tonne excavator was vacating. Another worker, who was on foot, was standing in the same area. As the excavator manoeuvred it hit him, knocked him to the ground and ran over his foot.
Open-access content
Tipner Wharf, Portsmouth CREDIT: HSE

 Man killed by recoiling rope at ship scrapping yard

Wednesday 13th July 2016
Hove Crown Court heard that employees of Diverse Ventures were using the rope to pull the jib of a ship-mounted crane back into position when it snapped under tension. The recoiling rope struck worker Paul Hudghton, 50, and he sustained significant head injuries.
Open-access content
Topics
Asbestos
Regulation/enforcement
Agriculture and forestry
Construction
Manufacturing and engineering
Mining and quarrying
Transport and logistics
News
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Health and Safety Improvement Manager

Leeds
£35000 - £50000 per annum
Reference
5452992

SHEQ Systems Advisor

Up to £40000.00 per annum + Car Allowance
Reference
5452988

Senior Health and Safety Manager

Reading
Up to £65000.00 per annum + Great Car Allowance & Benefits
Reference
5452983
See all jobs »

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

© 2023 IOSH • IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites

ioshmagazine.com and IOSH Magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ