When thinking about your career or looking for new employment, you wouldn’t be the only one to dismiss factors such as fatalities, accidents, or work-related health incidents. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recorded that there were 144 deaths at work in 2017/18. The top cause of work fatalities is falling from heights, followed by being struck by a moving vehicle.
These figures can vary greatly depending on location and industry. The map below highlights where in the UK is most dangerous to work. Health and safety specialist Moorepay used data from HSE and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to analyse and score the safety ratings of various locations in the UK. The analysis includes the following:
- Fatalities
- Accidents
- Illnesses
- Mental health
- Prosecutions
The overall Risk Rank Score is out of 100 and the Accident & Fatality score is out of 20.
Wales
Risk Rank Score – 72
Accident & Fatality Score – 9.9
Scotland
Risk Rank Score – 63
Accident & Fatality Score – 9.3
North
Risk Rank Score – 57
Accident & Fatality Score – 8.6
Midlands
Risk Rank Score – 47
Accident & Fatality Score – 7.9
South
Risk Rank Score – 45
Accident & Fatality Score – 5
London
Risk Rank Score – 26
Accident & Fatality Score – 5.8
The data also showed that over 11 million work days are lost per year due to work-related stress. Mental health and wellbeing plays a huge role at the workplace, with factors such as stress, depression, and anxiety at the top of the list. Wales scored a mental health and wellbeing score of 27 – faring the worst of all the UK regions.
Industry Sectors
When looking at specific industry sectors, you’ll be surprised at which jobs are ranked some of the riskiest places to work in the UK. According to ONS, there were 850 workplace fatalities between 2010-2016, with the most common cause of death being falling from heights.
Farming
With 167 deaths in 2017, farming is one of the UK’s most dangerous places to work. Agriculture employees are commonly in contact with heavy machinery, work from heights, and often come in contact with harmful chemicals. Animal-related accidents tend to go unnoticed, however, since 2010 there has been a total of 29 fatalities.
Construction
Half of the number of fatalities within construction were caused by falling from a height, which accounts for 29% of all workplace deaths in 2017. Similar to the agriculture sector, construction employees are at risk with heavy machinery, heights, and vehicles. Falling objects also pose a huge risk within this sector, which is why you should always be hard-hat-ready.
Lorry Driving
Don’t drive tired! Working as a lorry driver can be an extremely risky job – vehicle-related incidents at work amount to a fifth of all fatalities at the workplace. 40 HGV drivers have died whilst being on the road. It’s not just the dangers of driving that affect this sector – loading and unloading heavy goods can also cause severe injuries.
Installations
Electricians, plumbers, and installers are in constant contact with dangerous equipment and their working environment can often be quite hazardous. This sector may not seem risky, but with 26 workplace fatalities, it’s high up there on the list of riskiest places to work in the UK.
Other sectors posing a risk to employees are:
- Civil engineer
- Refuse collector
- Painter
- Joiner
- Oil rig worker
- Scaffolders/Roofer
Most common factors posing a risk to employees are:
- Falling from a height
- Heavy machinery
- Vehicles
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Exposure to chemicals
- Dangerous equipment
- Falling objects
There are various factors to consider when it comes to understanding the safety of a location and workplace. Work incidents are not uncommon and therefore correct training and knowledge on potential life-saving techniques is vital.
defibshop are committed to equipping everyone with the skills and knowledge to save a life. Speak to one of our Product Specialists on 0161 776 7422 or fill out our Contact Form.
