The importance of workplace health & safety: 22/23 statistics from HSE

Recent studies from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) demonstrate the changing attitudes of industries across the UK and a focus on the importance of health and safety standards in the workplace.

Statistics for 2023

The July 2023 report states that the risk of fatality within the workplace has fallen under what the national level was pre-pandemic, with the 2020/21 figure of 145 workplace fatalities in contrast with lower current levels reaching only 135. While the UK is one of the safest nations to work in the world due to professional standards, there will always be accidents and incidents within the workplace that cannot be avoided.

The most common cause of fatalities

In 2023, the most common causes of fatal injuries across all sectors were falls from height, being struck by a moving object, and being struck by a moving vehicle. All of these factors carry an element of neglected health and safety protocol and highlight the importance of prioritising high standards of workplace health and safety.

The HSE’s Chief Executive, Sarah Albon, underscores the importance of maintaining standards and preserving the lives of employees but states that “Our mission is to protect people and places and we remain committed to maintaining safe workplaces and holding employers to account for their actions.”

Asbestos awareness

Another key factor highlighted in this report is the impact of asbestos-related illnesses across all industries which can take decades to be detected. The majority of these cases relate to those affected by asbestos in the 1990s before restrictions and regulations were tightened and the current figures show 2,268 fatalities from asbestos-related diseases.

When it comes to ensuring that safety in the workplace is upheld, it’s important to be as informed as possible when it comes to handling asbestos and this comes with the correct asbestos awareness training.

As a brief summary, here are a few basic asbestos awareness training tips to ensure that your team is safe when working in potentially dangerous areas:

• Before entering the site get professionals to conduct a survey or, if unavailable, check if there is an asbestos register available.
• If there is suspicion of asbestos, cease work until it is verified by professionals.
• If you’re not trained to work with asbestos – DO NOT WORK ON SITE.

By ensuring that the team is correctly trained and aware of the issues surrounding asbestos, the fatality risk on site can be majorly reduced, employees can feel better protected, and any liability on the company’s behalf can be lowered.

If you require a health and safety training plan for your business to better protect your employees and create a safe workplace environment, get in touch with the Penshaw View team today.