This figure represents an increase compared to 2021/2022 count of 123 fatalities, but is still lower than the figures in 2020/2021, (barring the abnormal year we had in 2019/2020 with the pandemic skewing the figures).
While the actual number of fatalities has fluctuated over the years with no real cause, in 2022/2023 the key industries remain consistent with ‘Construction’ and ‘Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing’ causing most of the fatalities. Falls from height and being struck by either a moving object or vehicle, have been consistently the most common cause, making up around two-thirds of the total.
Along with the workers fatally wounded, 68 members of the public were also killed in workplace incidents. - although this is slightly confusing as there were 22 members of the public also included in the statistics, with no explanation to why they weren’t included in the main statistics as only 11 of those were in healthcare settings.
Disproportionately affected were men, with over 95% of victims being male, and similarly, 25% of the fatalities in the statistics were over 60, even though workers in this age range only make up 11% of the UK’s working population.
Taking a bigger picture view of the overall statistics, 2022/2023 was still one of the lowest numbers since records began in 1981, except for the skewed figures throughout the pandemic, and continues the downward trend. Any life lost due to workplace incidents is one-too-many, and by continuing to make processes safer, will hopefully mean that all workers and members of the public return home safely at the end of the day.