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Accidents at work have a huge personal and economic cost

Figures released by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reveal that 144 British workers died as a direct result of accidents at work in 2015/16 (the latest year for which figures are available) and another 600,000 workers suffered non-fatal injuries. Add to that 1.3 million workers who were reported to be suffering from a work-related illness.

Behind those figures is an awful lot of individual pain and suffering but also a huge cost to the UK economy, calculated by the HSE at a staggering £14.1 billion.

Overall, 30 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and non-fatal workplace injuries in 2015/16

There were also 2,525 Mesothelioma deaths in the year, with a similar number of lung cancer deaths linked to past exposure to asbestos. There are projected to be around 2,500 mesothelioma deaths per year for the rest of this decade before numbers begin to decline. Mesothelioma has been dubbed ‘the Swindon disease’ given the large number of victims among workers from the town’s former Great Western railway works.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, Construction, Accommodation and Food Services, Transport and Storage, Manufacturing and Wholesale and Retail Trade had statistically significantly higher injury rates than for all industries.

One piece of relative good news revealed by the HSE report is that the number of employers being penalised for negligence is growing. The number of cases prosecuted by HSE or Scotland’s Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has shown an upward trend in recent years. In 2015/16, 660 cases were prosecuted leading to £38.3 million in fines.

“There is a place to see prosecutions being carried out against employers who do not protect their workers,” says Robert Millbourn of Swindon Accident Solicitors, “and in that respect, the UK performs consistently well compared to other large economies and the EU average.”

“That said, UK employers could still be doing much more. In many cases, accidents are not just caused by a small mistake or a simple mishap from a busy worker but by the deliberate pressure put on employees as a result of repetitive processes.”

“If you are the victim of an accident at work, Swindon Accident Solicitors are here to help you secure the compensation you deserve. We have helped hundreds of workers with compensation claims after they suffered workplace accidents through no fault of their own. At the end of the day, everybody has the right to return home from work safe and sound.”

Swindon Accident Solicitors offer a FREE initial consultation that will review your workplace accident and establish if you have a justifiable claim. Please contact us today on 01793 425595 to arrange an appointment with one of our friendly lawyers.