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Coronavirus pandemic and work-related ill-health in Great Britain, 2021/22

123,000

Workers suffering COVID-19 in 2021/22 which they believe may have been from exposure to coronavirus at work (new or long-standing) (LFS).

585,000

Workers suffering from a work-related illness caused or made worse by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic (new or long-standing) in 2021/22 (LFS) [Excludes 123,000 suffering COVID-19]

12,348

COVID-19 cases reported to Enforcing Authorities in 2021/22 which employer believed may be caused by exposure at work (RIDDOR)[26]

Rate of new and long-standing cases of COVID-19 which may have been due to exposure to coronavirus at work in human health and social work activities compared to across all industries, 2021/22
Combination chart with 2 data series.
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) self-reported estimates
End of interactive chart.

Around 40% of those suffering from COVID-19 which they believe may have been from exposure to coronavirus at work were in human health and social work activities.

New and long-standing cases of work-related ill health caused or made worse by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic by type, 2021/22

585,000 Workers
Combination chart with 2 data series.
End of interactive chart.
Industries with higher than average rates of new and long-standing work-related ill health caused or made worse by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2021/22
Combination chart with 2 data series.
Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) self-reported estimates
End of interactive chart.

Around a quarter of all those suffering from a work-related illness caused or made worse by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic were in human health and social work activities.

Notes

These estimates of the number of workers who suffered work-related ill health as a result of the coronavirus pandemic should not be subtracted from the overall estimate of work-related ill health presented elsewhere. It cannot be assumed that those individuals would not have otherwise suffered a work-related illness in the absence of coronavirus. This includes both those suffering COVID-19 they believe may have been from exposure to coronavirus at work and those suffering from another work-related illness caused or made worse by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Workers suffering COVID-19 they believe may have been from exposure to coronavirus at work in 2021/22 (LFS)

  • This estimate was derived only from those reporting either a work-related infectious disease, a breathing or lung problem or other type of illness as their most serious work-related illness in 2021/22. For more details see our 2021/22 report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Health and Safety Statistics[27]
  • Reliably identifying the source of exposure for a disease that is widely prevalent in the community at large is difficult and these self-reports may under-or overestimate the true scale.

Workers suffering from a work-related illness caused or made worse by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic (LFS)

  • As well as COVID-19 due to exposure at work, the coronavirus pandemic could also have caused or made worse other work-related conditions. Changes in how and where people were working, changes in work intensity and perceived job insecurity (even if working conditions did not markedly change) all have the potential to effect workers health. For more details see our 2021/22 report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on health and safety statistics[28].
  • This estimate does not include the number of workers suffering COVID-19 which they believe may have been from exposure to coronavirus at work. This estimate is presented separately.

More information on HSE’s work-related coronavirus pandemic statistics

Information on HSE Statistics

Link URLs in this page

  1. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm
  2. Statistics A - Zhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/a-z.htm
  3. Index of data tableshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/index.htm
  4. Ill healthhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/index.htm
  5. Overview - COVID-19https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/coronavirus/index.htm
  6. Management informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/coronavirus/management-information.htm
  7. Overview - Fatal injurieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm
  8. Latest quarterly fatal injury figureshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatalquarterly.htm
  9. Overview - Non-fatal injuryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/index.htm
  10. Violence at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/violence/index.htm
  11. Costs to Britainhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/cost.htm
  12. Industrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/index.htm
  13. Countries and regions of Britainhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/regions/index.htm
  14. Comparisons with other countrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/european/index.htm
  15. Historical picturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/history/index.htm
  16. Overview - About HSE Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/about.htm
  17. Data sourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/sources.htm
  18. Overview - National statistics policieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/about/index.htm
  19. Revisionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/about/revisions/index.htm
  20. Confidentiality policyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/about/confidentiality.htm
  21. Overview - User engagementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/about/engagement/index.htm
  22. Reports from previous user consultationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/about/engagement/previous-consultations.htm
  23. Quality guidelineshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/about/quality-guidelines.htm
  24. Statement of administrative sourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/about/administrative-sources.htm
  25. Research and ad hoc analysishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/resources.htm
  26. exposure at work (RIDDOR)https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/coronavirus/management-information.htm
  27. 2021/22 report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Health and Safety Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/coronavirus-pandemic-impact.htm
  28. 2021/22 report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on health and safety statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/coronavirus-pandemic-impact.htm
  29. LFS - Coronavirus pandemic tableshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/index.htm#coronavirus
  30. Reports: The Impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Health and Safety Statistics 2021/22https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/coronavirus-pandemic-impact.htm
  31. Reported cases of COVID-19 to Enforcing Authorities (RIDDOR) https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/coronavirus/management-information.htm
  32. Data Sourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/sources.htm
  33. Index of tableshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/index.htm

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Updated 2025-02-18