The provisional figure for the number of workers fatally injured in 2007/08 is 228, and corresponds to a rate of fatal injury of 0.75 per 100 000 workers.
There is a long-term downward trend in the rate of fatal injuries. However, the year on year improvement has become less marked in recent years, to the extent that there has been very little change over the last six years.
The figure of 228 for the latest year is similar to the average for the past five years (230). In terms of the rate of fatal injuries, the latest figure of 0.75 per 100 000 workers compares to a five-year average of 0.78.
Of the main industrial sectors, agriculture and construction have the highest rates of fatal injury. Together these two sectors account for nearly half of fatal injuries to workers.
There were 71 members of the public fatally injured in 2007/08 (excluding railways-related incidents). This compares to an average of 90 per year, over the past five years.
The finalised figure for 2006/07 was 247, representing a net increase of 6 compared to the provisional figure of 241 released last year. A few incidents occurring towards the end of the period can be reported late; while some fatal investigations can take time to conclude, with the records being updated accordingly as the latest information becomes available.
Comparison with data from other EU countries over a number of years reveals that the fatal injury rate in the UK is consistently one of the lowest in Europe. The most recent comparative data is for 2005 and this shows that amongst the five largest EU countries the UK has now had the lowest fatal injury rate for a five year period.
Worker fatalities by main industry
In agriculture there were 39 fatal injuries and the rate of fatal injury was 9.1 deaths per 100 000 workers. The rate of fatal injury to workers has fluctuated in recent years with no overall trend.
In construction there were 72 fatal injuries and the rate of fatal injury was 3.4 deaths per 100 000 workers. Although the last 15 years overall has shown a downward trend in the rate of fatal injury to workers, the recent five years has shown little change, with an average yearly rate of 3.6.
In manufacturing there were 34 fatal injuries and the rate of fatal injury was 1.1 per 100 000 workers. The rate of fatal injury to workers has fluctuated in recent years with no overall trend. The five-year average rate is 1.2 per year.
In the services sector there were 74 fatalities, and the rate of fatal injury was 0.30 deaths per 100 000 workers. Since 1998/99, the trend in the rate of injury in this sector has remained relatively unchanged.
