The latest 2021/2022 statistics on work-related health and safety in Great Britain have recently been published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). In this blog post we delve into the details.

Key statistics

• 1.8 million working people suffering from a work-related illness, of which
  • 914,000 workers suffering work-related stress, depression or anxiety
  • 477,000 workers suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder
• 123 workers killed in work-related accidents
• 565,000 working people sustained an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey
• 61,713 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
• 36.8 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
• £18.8 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2019/20)

In 2021/22, 1.8 million working people suffered from a work-related illness, highlighting the continuing need for businesses to take action to prevent occupational ill-health. Not only is it a legal requirement to protect the health of your workers, improving your management of worker health and wellbeing also brings tangible business benefits.

Focus on work-related ill health

• 30.8 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health in 2021/22.
• Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of self-reported work related ill health and working days lost had been broadly flat. The current rate is considerably higher than the 2018/19 pre-coronavirus levels.
• Stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 51% of all new and long-standing cases of work-related ill health in the one year period 2021/2022. Musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 27% (477,000 cases).

Focus on work-related stress, depression or anxiety

• 914,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety (new or long-standing) in 2021/22.
• 17 million working days lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2021/22.
• Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of self-reported work related stress, depression or anxiety had shown signs of increasing. The current rate is continuing that trend, and is significantly higher than the 2018/19 pre-coronavirus levels. The effects of the coronavirus pandemic were found to be a major
  contributory factor to work-related stress, depression or anxiety.

Focus on work-related musculoskeletal disorders

• 477,000 workers suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder (new or longstanding) in 2021/22.
• 7.3 million working days lost due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders in 2021/22.
• Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of self-reported work related musculoskeletal disorders had shown a generally downward trend. The current rate is similar to the 2018/19 pre-coronavirus levels. In 2021/22 the effects of the coronavirus pandemic were found to be a contributory factor to work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
• The ‘back’ was the most common (42%) body area affected by work-related musculoskeletal disorders in 2021/22.
• ‘Handling, lifting or carrying’ was found to account for 18% of all non-fatal injuries to employees in 2021/22.

Focus on the financial cost to Britain

• £18.8 billion: Annual costs of work-related injury and ill health in 2019/20 *
• £11.2 billion: Annual costs of new cases of work-related ill health in 2019/20 *
• £7.6 billion: Annual costs of workplace injury in 2019/20
• *excluding long latency illness, such as cancer