There are many injuries and even fatalities in a wide number of industries each year, unfortunately, but it is true that some industries are much more dangerous than others. It is worth looking into which industries suffer the most injuries at work along with why this might be and what can be done to prevent these injuries from happening.
Main Industries
Data from HSE reveals that in total there were 147 workers killed in 2018/19 across a handful of different industries. In terms of absolute count, agriculture, forestry and fishing had the most with 32 followed by construction with 30 and manufacturing with 26. An alternative approach is to look at fatal injury rate by fatalities per 100,000 employees. With this approach, agriculture, forestry and fishing along with waste and recycling are far out in front with a rate of injury 18 and 17 times as high as the average across all industries.
Year by Year
Statistically, the number of fatalities each year has remained largely flat with an increase of 6 from the year before and the average over the last 5 years being 142. It is a concern that the number has not been falling in recent times and these industries need to take more action to protect their workers. In order to do this, it is worth looking at the most common types of fatal accidents that happen so that employers can find ways to make safety improvements.
Accidents
The most fatal accidents in the workplace in 2018/19 were falls from height with 40 fatalities followed by being struck by a moving car with 30. This was followed by being struck by a moving object with 16, contact with moving machinery with 14 and being trapped by something collapsing/overturning with 11. These accidents can usually be avoided with better organization, communication and safety practices in place.
What to do if Someone is Injured at Work
If somebody is injured on the job then it is important that swift action is taken. This will involve seeking immediate medical attention, reporting the accident to your employer and gathering any evidence and witness statements. It is also important to seek guidance from a personal injury lawyer who can take your case forward and work on your behalf to win compensation. This will take into consideration damages such as pain and suffering loss of earnings, future loss of earnings, ongoing medical care etc.
It is clear that there are certain industries that are much more dangerous than others and it is important that these industries take action to reduce the number of fatalities, particularly as the figures have not changed much over the last 5 years or so. Workplace injuries and fatalities are often avoidable so there will always be steps that can be taken to improve workplace safety.
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