For anyone employed in the UK, as your loved ones may be, there is always the risk of suffering an injury in the workplace. Although some workers will only face issues as severe as a papercut, others are at risk of a serious accident at work.
These are the most dangerous industries, based on fatalities recorded between 2018 and 2019.
Agriculture
Agriculture has placed first on the list of dangerous industries, with the UK’s Health and Safety Executive finding that 32 died at work between 2018 and 2019. Agricultural workers have to operate huge machinery and vehicles, as well as unpredictable animals that can often weigh up to a tonne. This means that if something goes wrong on a farm or agricultural site, it can – and does – have severe consequences.
Construction
Construction is next on the list, with 30 people being killed at work in 2018/19. Since construction workers frequently have to work at heights, as well as with sharp tools and heavy moving objects, it is perhaps unsurprising that the sector presents one of the highest risks to employees.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing was found to be the third most dangerous industry in the UK in that period, with 26 people dying. It’s an industry with an abundance of dangerous tools, moving vehicles and heavy machinery, so the risk to those working in manufacturing is significant. Workers in this industry are also often exposed to extreme heat and hazardous chemicals.
Transport and storage
Transport and storage saw 16 people dying in 2018/19. Road traffic accidents are such a major threat to the general public – with 26,610 people killed or seriously injured in the year ending June 2018 – that it follows that workers involved in transport will face higher risks than most.
Admin and support services
Admin and support services recorded the deaths of 10 people. Although this may initially sound surprising, the industry includes renting and leasing activities and services to buildings and landscape activities, according to the UK government.
Accident types
The biggest risk to workers is falling from a height, with 40 people killed this way. A further 30 people died after being struck by a moving vehicle at work. Moving objects were also a real threat to employees, killing 16. Coming into contact with moving machinery was responsible for the deaths of 14 people, while being trapped by a collapsing or overturning object killed 11.
The good news
Although these figures may seem worrying, there is good news. The UK has seen rates of fatal injuries to workers fall significantly since 1981, when 495 people were killed at work. In 2018/19, 147 people were killed at work.
It means you now have less reason than you may have had previously to worry about your loved ones at work in the UK. But if the worst happens and they do find themselves injured in an accident at work, they’ll need an expert helping hand to make things right.
This is where First4Lawyers can help. It may be possible to make a claim for compensation in order to cover any suffering caused by the accident, as well as any loss of earnings. This will be a step towards making things right for an injured worker.
