Top 5 Causes of Accidents At Work In The UK 2020

According to a report by the HSE, a total of 693,000 workers have sustained injuries at work in the UK. Do you know what causes this number to be this high? Do you know about the main reasons behind the number of accidents in the UK?

That’s what we are here for. We will peek deeper into the HSE report and let you know of the total number of accidents and fatalities at work. Plus, we will also have a look at the top five causes of accidents at work according to the HSE. Plus, we will also know when you are eligible to make an accident at work claim for your injuries. Let’s get started from the basics.

Total Work Accidents In The UK

Annual workplace fatality figures by the HSE state that a total of 111 fatal accidents happened at work in the UK. It means that a total of 111 workers died in the UK in 2019/20 as a result of workplace accidents. While 693,000 workers have got injured at work in the UK as per the reports of the Labour Force Survey.

What Causes Accidents At Work In The UK?

Workplace Accidents can happen due to the number of reasons. Let’s get started to know the main causes of accidents at work according to the HSE.

Trips, Slips, And Falls At Work

Slips, trips and falls are the top cause of accidents at work in the UK. According to the estimates given by the Labour Force Survey, out of a total of 693,000 injuries, 29% of injuries were caused by the Slips, trips or falls on the same level. These injuries don’t include the falls from heights, which are also among the top 5 causes of injuries at work.

Handling, Lifting, or Carrying

Handling sensitive material is the second most prominent cause of workplace accidents. Workers often get themselves injured because of carrying glass or driving a forklift etc. Out of the total workplace injuries during 2019/20, 19% were caused due to the handling, lifting, or carrying accidents.

Struck By Moving Object

Workplace accidents that are caused by moving objects are absurdly common, especially in the UK. According to the HSE, they are the third biggest cause of injuries at work succeeded by handling, lifting and trips, slip or falls. According to the report, over 11% of workplace injuries are caused due to accidents by moving objects.

Acts of Violence

Acts of violence are also among the most common reasons due to which workplace accidents happen. Sometimes, such acts are caused by managers while in some cases, colleagues can also injure you due to the violence at work. Though the UK has strict policies about violence at work still, over 9% of injuries at work are linked to the violence at the workplace.

Falls From a Height

Falling from heights is also among the most common causes of accidents at work. It can even cause fatalities. There have been numerous cases where workers have died as a result of falling from a height. According to the HSE, 8% of workplace injuries are caused by falling from heights.

What most people don’t know is that you can make an accident at work claim against your employer if you have sustained an injury at work due to the fault of someone else. If you are also a victim of a work accident where you were not negligent, then it is your legal right to file an accident at work claim against your employer.