Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Health and safetyLatest NewsHealth & Safety ExecutiveWellbeing

Fatalities at work fall to record low, but HSE warns against complacency

by Personnel Today 2 Jul 2010
by Personnel Today 2 Jul 2010

The number of people killed at work in the UK last year declined to a record low, although the number of fatalities in agriculture increased, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).


The HSE’s newly released annual data has revealed that 151 workers were killed between 1 April 2009 and 31 March this year, compared to 178 deaths in the previous year.


Judith Hackitt, HSE chair, said that although the reduction in workplace deaths was encouraging, the fall in fatalities may have been partly due to lower activity in some sectors of the economy during the recession.


She said: “Being one of the best health and safety performers in the world means continuing to strive to drive these numbers down further, not getting complacent about what we’ve collectively achieved, and recognising the new challenges as we emerge from the recession.”


“As with all health and safety statistics, today’s announcement is a combination of encouraging news about improvement, but also a salutary reminder of the tragedies of lives lost at work.”


Agriculture remains the most dangerous industry in the UK, with 38 workers dying on farms over the past year, up from 25 deaths in 2008-09.


Hackitt admitted the HSE was “especially concerned” to see the continuing high levels of fatalities in agriculture.


“The fact that many of these lives have been lost in family businesses is a double tragedy,” she said. “Not only have families been ripped apart, but businesses that have been handed down through generations have been ruined.”


Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said politicians and the media should focus on preventing such deaths, rather than talking about health and safety regulations being a burden.


“None of these deaths were a result of over-regulation or risk aversion,” he added. “In most cases they were caused by basic health and safety precautions not being taken.”


Madge Moore, England director at Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries, who also sits on the agriculture industry advisory committee of the HSE, said it supported a call by the National Farmers Union for a “farming safety summit”.


“Farmers work in a hazardous environment and with hazardous materials – everything from livestock to dangerous chemicals,” Moore said. “The right training and skills can help people work safely in this sector.”







Figures underestimated?

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Public sector union Unison has suggested that the HSE has “grossly underestimated” the real figures for workplace-related fatalites. It estimates that 1,600 deaths are caused by work-related incidents each year – more than 10 times the HSE figure of 151.

Hope Daley, Unison’s head of health and safety, said: “These statistics do not include deaths to members of the public, work-related suicide and road traffic accidents while driving for work.
 
“The death toll at work is truly horrific, and now is not the time for the government to relax health and safety laws. We need to clamp down on employers that do not follow regulations or report non-fatal accidents.”


Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Salaries of quango chiefs earning more than £150,000 have been published
next post
Get the whole tooth with Denplan’s 2010 dental benefits survey

You may also like

Fire and rehire: the relocation question

22 May 2025

Public sector workers gain pay rises of up...

22 May 2025

UK net migration slashed by half in one...

22 May 2025

How neuroscience can unlock employee recognition

22 May 2025

UK universities fret over fall in international students

22 May 2025

HSBC employees warned of office attendance link to...

22 May 2025

The Law Society: Navigating the new world of...

22 May 2025

Workplace stress: Why it’s time to rebrand resilience

22 May 2025

Restaurant tips should be included in holiday pay

21 May 2025

Fewer workers would comply with a return-to-office mandate

21 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today