Nearly 1.7 million workers in Great Britain affected by work-related illnesses in 2023/24.
On 20th November, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) released its annual statistics on work-related health and safety for the year 2023/24, revealing concerning figures about the impact of workplace health issues and injuries in Great Britain.
The report shows that 1.7 million working people reported suffering from work-related illnesses in 2023/24. Of these, a significant portion was attributed to mental health challenges, with 776,000 workers experiencing stress, depression, or anxiety related to their work. Additionally, 543,000 workers were affected by musculoskeletal disorders, which continue to be a major cause of work-related ill health.
The long-term consequences of past workplace exposures to hazardous substances are also evident in the data, with 2,257 deaths from mesothelioma recorded in 2022, a disease linked to past asbestos exposure.
Workplace accidents also continued to have a devastating impact, with 138 workers killed in work-related accidents during the reporting period. In addition, 604,000 working people sustained non-fatal injuries at work, as reported in the Labour Force Survey.
The statistics also highlight the significant economic costs associated with work-related illnesses and injuries. A total of 33.7 million working days were lost in 2023/24 due to work-related illness and injury. The estimated cost of workplace injuries and new cases of ill health, resulting from current working conditions, reached £21.6 billion for the period 2022 to 2023, marking an increase in the financial burden on the economy compared to previous years.
Additionally, there were 61,663 workplace injuries reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) in 2023/24.
The findings underscore the ongoing challenges in addressing work-related ill health and the importance of further measures to protect workers' health and safety in the workplace.
Published on Wednesday 20th November 2024