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Rise in UK fatal injury rate during 2010-11

01 July 2011

The number of people suffering fatal injuries as a result of accidents in UK workplaces climbed from 147 in 2009-10 to 171 last year.

According to the latest annual provisional figures published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 0.6 per 100,000 workers died in 2010-11, a fall of 14 per cent compared with the five-year average.

However, this is a 0.1 point increase on the rate of 0.5 per 100,000 members of staff recorded the previous year, with 68 members of the public fatally injured in work-connected accidents during 2010-11.

The HSE data showed the sector with the highest proportion of deaths was the waste and recycling industry in 2010-11, with nine fatal injuries equating to 8.7 per 100,000 workers, rising from a five-year average of seven.

Commenting on the increase, Peter Woolgar, the body's Head of Waste and Recycling, said it was "disappointing and remains a serious cause for concern", adding the industry "still has a long way to go" to improve health and safety.

Read more about health and safety standards here