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HSE statistics 2023/24 | A mixed picture of progress and challenges in workplace safety and health
Written on 20 November 2024
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its annual summary statistics for 2023/24, providing fresh insight into the current state of workplace health and safety across Great Britain.
The report draws on data from the Labour Force Survey, which gathers self-reported information from individuals who worked in the past 12 months. So, what do the latest figures show, and are we making progress?
Positive trend in reducing work-related ill health
The report show a positive trend in reducing work-related ill health across Great Britain. In 2023/24, 1.7 million workers experienced work-related ill health, down from 1.8 million the previous year.
Stress, anxiety, and depression remain the most significant contributors, but there’s encouraging progress here too. Cases have dropped from 875,000 to 776,000, with new cases declining from 338,000 to 300,000.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) hold their position as the second leading cause of work-related ill health, with cases rising from 473,000 to 543,000 this year. As a result, the share of MSD-related ill health has grown, now accounting for 32% of all cases compared to 27% last year. Meanwhile, stress, anxiety, and depression account for a smaller proportion (46%, down from 49%).
Nick Wilson, Director of Health & Safety Services at WorkNest, says: “While the reduction in cases of stress, anxiety and depression is promising, employers must remain proactive.
“Key to this is conducting regular stress and mental health risk assessments to identify potential triggers, such as unmanageable workloads, tight deadlines, or a lack of support from management, and developing tailored strategies to mitigate them.”
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Non-fatal injuries – a step in the wrong direction?
0.6 million workers sustained a non-fatal injury at work in 2023/24, identical to the headline statistic from last year. However, a closer look at the data reveals an increase in actual numbers – from 561,000 in 2022/23 to 604,000 in 2023/24.
This upward trend is mirrored in the number of non-fatal injuries reported by employers under RIDDOR, which also rose slightly from 60,645 to 61,663.
Nick Wilson says: “While these changes might seem small, any increase in workplace injuries is cause for concern, particularly as greater awareness and preventative efforts should be driving numbers down.”
Looking at accident kinds, slips, trips, and falls on the same level remain the leading cause of non-fatal workplace injuries, accounting for 31% of cases.
Nick Wilson says: “Employers shouldn’t underestimate the impact of commonplace risks like slips and trips. While often perceived as minor, these incidents can have serious consequences, from lengthy recovery times to significant disruption for employers. Indeed, the latest figures show that one in five injuries (21%) resulted in absence of over seven days.
“Simple measures, such as improving housekeeping and addressing flooring hazards, can make a big difference.”
Other common causes of non-fatal injury include handling, lifting, or carrying (17%), being struck by a moving object (10%), and acts of violence (9%), which have now overtaken falls from height (8%) in the rankings.
Nick adds: “While we don’t know the raw numbers – only the percentage split – the relative rise of acts of violence as a key cause of workplace injury calls for a greater focus on preventative measures.
“The best time to address workplace violence is before any incidents occur. This may include targeted training to help staff handle potentially violent situations, implementing physical controls like secure entry systems, and redesigning workspaces to reduce risk.”
Fatalities fail to come down post-pandemic
The report confirms that 138 workers tragically lost their lives in work-related accidents in 2023/24, an increase of two deaths from the previous year. This figure is similar to pre-pandemic levels, with an average of 142 deaths per year from 2016/17 to 2018/19.
While this latest report doesn’t delve into the detail, the HSE’s fatal injuries statistics released in July this year reveals that three sectors – construction, agriculture, forestry and fishing, and manufacturing – account for two-thirds (65%) of all work-related fatalities.
It also shows that falls from height remain the leading cause of fatal injury, accounting for 50 deaths (36%) in 2023/24, followed by being struck by a moving vehicle (18%) and being struck by a moving object (14%).
While progress has stagnated in recent years, over the long-term, the rate of fatal injury to workers shows a downward trend. In 1981, 495 workers lost their lives, giving a fatal injury rate of 2.1 deaths per 100,000 workers. In 2023/24, that rate had dropped to 0.42 deaths per 100,000 workers.
Nick Wilson comments: “There’s no doubt that workplaces are far safer than they were 50 years ago. However, progress is slow, with fatalities having remained broadly flat over the past decade.
“Employers must take proactive steps to address the key risks in their sectors, invest in ongoing training, enforce safety protocols, and continually assess and improve safety measures to reduce fatalities and create a safer working environment for all employees.”
Significant differences between sectors
The report highlights significant differences between sectors when it comes to work-related ill health and non-fatal injuries.
Human health and social work, public administration and defence, and education continue to have the highest rates of work-related ill health, with these sectors reporting statistically significantly higher rates per 100,000 workers. On the other hand, sectors like real estate activities, accommodation and food service activities, and information and communication report statistically significantly lower rates of ill health than the all-industry average.
When it comes to accidents, however, the accommodation and food service activities sector has the highest rate of non-fatal injury per 100,000 workers. Construction, transportation and storage, and wholesale and retail trade (including the repair of motor vehicles) also show statistically significantly higher injury rates.
Nick Wilson says these findings “underscore the need for sector-specific safety measures to address the unique risks faced by workers in different industries”.
Rising costs to employers
The report reveals that the overall cost of workplace injury and ill health is rising, with the total cost – to employers, individuals and the government – reaching £21.6 billion in 2023/24, up from £20.7 billion the previous year. This figure includes both ‘financial costs’, such as loss of output, healthcare expenses, and other payments, and ‘human costs’, which encompass the monetary value assigned to pain, suffering, and loss of life.
Of this £21.6 billion, £7.1 billion (33%) is attributed to injuries, with the remaining £14.5 billion (66%) due to ill health. Interestingly, while the cost of injuries has decreased year on year (from £7.7 billion in 2022/23), the cost of ill health has risen significantly (from £13.1 billion in 2022/23).
The cost to employers specifically has also increased slightly, from £3.9 million in 2022/23 to £4.1 million in 2023/24.
And it’s not just the raw financial costs that organisations should be concerned about. A total of 33.7 million working days were lost due to injuries and ill health in 2023/24, meaning significant disruption. 29.6 million of those days were attributed to ill health, including 16.4 million specifically due to stress, anxiety, and depression, with 4.1 million days lost due to injuries.
Nick Wilson urges: “While employers often focus their health and safety efforts on reducing accidents and physical injury, it’s important to recognise that ill health represents a more costly issue. These statistics emphasise the need for employers to invest more time, resources, and attention into addressing ill health at work.”
So, are workplaces becoming safer?
All things considered, not really, says Nick Wilson – though this may soon change.
He explains: “The new Labour government has alluded to modernising health and safety regulations to address the needs of the current workforce – and some of its proposed employment law reforms, such as cracking down on zero-hour contracts and removing barriers to statutory sick pay, could also have a positive impact on occupational safety and health.
“Whether this will be reflected in future figures, only time will tell.”
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