More than a million people made ill by their work, HSE statistics reveal

The Health and Safety Executive’s annual report for 2014/15, released on 27 October 2015, reveals that:

• 1.2 million people who worked during the last year were suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their work;
• 142 workers were killed at work, a rate of 0.46 fatalities per 100,000 workers; 
• 76,000 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR; 
• 2,538 people died from mesothelioma in 2013 and thousands more from other work-related cancers and diseases such as COPD;
• 27.3 million days were lost due to work-related ill health or injury (15 days per case); 
• 23.3 million days were lost due to work-related ill health and 4.1 million due to workplace injury; 
• Injuries and new cases of ill health cost society an estimated £14.3 billion in 2013/14 (based on 2013 prices); and
• The HSE prosecuted 586 cases in England and Wales. Local authorities in England and Wales prosecuted 70 cases. Overall,12,430 enforcement notices were issued by all enforcing authorities.

Further information can be found on the HSE website.