Key figures for 2005/06

Ill health

• 2.0 million people were suffering from an illness they believed was caused or made worse by their current or past work.
• 523 000 of these were new cases in the last 12 months.
• 1969 people died of mesothelioma (2004), and thousands more from other occupational cancers and lung diseases.

Injuries

• 212 workers were killed at work, a rate of 0.7 per 100 000 workers.
• 146 076 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR, a rate of 562.4 per 100 000 employees.
• 328 000 reportable injuries occurred, according to the Labour Force Survey, a rate of 1200 per 100 000 workers (2004/05).

Working days lost

• 30 million days were lost overall (1.3 days per worker), 24 million due to work-related ill health and 6 million due to workplace injury.

Revitalising Health and Safety targets: progress to 2005/06

• Ill health: on track to meet the ten-year target, and falling in 2005/06.
• Fatal and major injuries: not on track to meet the ten-year target, but falling in 2005/06.
• Days lost per worker: probably on track to meet the ten-year target, and falling in 2005/06.

Enforcement

• 1012 offences were prosecuted by HSE.
• 332 offences were prosecuted by local authorities (2004/05).

Data from www.hse.gov.uk