Depending on which industry you work in there are a different variety of hazards you may come into contact with.
One example is an office worker is much less at risk from being burnt than a chef as you would expect.
There is however a range of common accidents and injuries which occur across all occupational sectors – and slips / trips and falls invariably top the table.
In 2013/14
- over half the fatal injuries to workers were of three kinds: falls from height; contact with moving machinery; and being struck by a vehicle (RIDDOR)
- falls and slips & trips, combined, account for over a third (35%) of employee injuries. They made up more than half of all reported major/specified injuries and almost three in ten (29%) over-seven-day injuries to employees (RIDDOR)
- handling was the most frequent cause of over-seven-day injury (RIDDOR)
- an estimated 1.9 million working days were lost due to handling injuries and slips & trips (LFS).
Source HSE
Overall, the three most common types of accident/injury were:
- Trips/slips or falls
- Machinery / Moving Objects
- Manual handling/lifting
Some of the most common injuries were:
- Sprains and strains
- Back injury
- Head injury
- Neck injury
- Repetitive Strain Injury
Most Common Risks
Overall, slips/trips and falls or damage caused by manual handling/lifting remain the main culprits of injury in the workplace.
Some of these risks may have been able to be managed if a risk assessment and workforce training had been carried out. If you need an up to date risk assessment or tool box talks download our free documents below:
