The HSE’s annual injury and ill-health statistics reveal 541,000 people suffered from a new case of work-related ill-health in 2017/18 and there were 26.8 million working days lost in the same time period, because of work-related ill-health.
Of the working days lost in 2017/18, more than half (57%) were lost due to depression, anxiety or stress.
A quarter were lot to musculoskeletal diseases and 18% were lost to other types of diseases.
The figures also show 595,000 workers suffered with new or long-standing depression or anxiety in 2017/18, while 15.4 million working days were lost to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in the same time period.
Around 469,0000 workers suffered from either new or long-standing work-related musculoskeletal disorders and 6.6 million working days were lost to the same issue.
In addition, the figures show there were 2,595 Mesothelioma deaths in 2016, with a similar number of lung cancer deaths linked to past exposures to asbestos
And there have been 20,000 new cases of breathing or lung problems caused or made worse by work each year on average over the last three years according to self-reported estimates from the Labour Force Survey.
The statistics also show 493 cases were prosecuted by the HSE and resulted in a conviction, with fines totalling £72.6 million.
“These figures should serve as a reminder to us of the importance to manage risk and undertake good health and safety practice in the work place,” said HSE Chair, Martin Temple.
“Great Britain’s health and safety record is something we should all be proud of, but there is still much to be done to ensure that every worker goes home at the end of their working day safe and healthy.
“Collectively we must take responsibility to prevent these incidents that still affect too many lives every year, and continue to all play our part in Helping Great Britain Work Well,” added Mr Temple.
The full annual injury and ill-health statistics report can be found here.
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.
We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.
Most of this ill-health data comes from the Labour Force Survey, and is therefore, self-reported. Not actual fact.