Accidents at work - Health and Safety Executive Statistics

In 2009/10 there were 23 fatal injuries to workers in Scotland, 2,548 reported major injuries to employees and 7992 over 3 day injuries to employees.

Compared with 2008/09 the total number of injuries in Scotland has fallen by 8.9%.

In Scotland in 2009/10 the rate per 100,000 employees was 115.6 for fatal and major injuries and 359.8 for over 3 day injuries compared to GB averages of 102.0 and 371.5 respectively.

Types of Accidents in the UK

The most common fatal injury in recent years has been falling from a height, struck by a moving vehicle or struck by a moving or falling object.

•    Number of major injuries to employees by kind of accident

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Industries

Agriculture

Agriculture has the highest rate of fatal injuries and one of the highest rates of reported major injury of the industry sectors. In 2009/10, there were 242.1 major injuries per 100,000 employees in agriculture compared to 203.1 in 2008/09.

In 2009/10 Agriculture accounted for 0.9% of the employees in Britain and 1.4% of reported injuries to employees (15% fatalities, 2% major and 1% of over three day injuries).

Construction

In 2009/10 Construction accounted for 4% of the employees in Britain and 7% of reported injuries to employees (27% fatalities, 10% major and 6% of over three day injuries).

In 2009/10 there were 42 fatal injuries giving a rate of 2.2 per 100 000 workers. This is the third highest rate of fatal injuries, behind agriculture and extractive industries.

Construction accounted for 35% (276 cases) of all reported injuries involving high falls and 24.8% (89) involving electricity.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing accounts for about 9% of the British workforce, but for 16% of reported injuries to employees (21% fatalities, 15% Major, 16% over three day injuries).

Manufacturing also accounts for 56% (2,160 cases in 2009/10) of reported injuries that involved contact with moving machinery, 24% (20) involving explosions, 21% (2,851) hit by moving, falling objects or fire (51) and 19% (605) contact with harmful substance.

Within Manufacturing, the sub-group recycling has a rate of reported major injury over five times the rate for Manufacturing as a whole.

Extractive and Utility Supply

There were 6 fatal injuries in 2009/10, a rate of 3.6 per 100 000 employees. This is similar to 2008/09 which had a rate of 3.5, when there were also 6 fatal injuries. The number and rate of fatal injuries in extractive industries have fluctuated since 2000/01 with no overall trend.

There has also been decrease of 32% in the major rate injuries since 1996, and 16% since 2000.