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Fatal Injuries Decrease but Non-Fatal Incidents Surge in Transportation and Storage

Blogs | 28th Nov 2024

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published its annual statistics around health and safety at work in Great Britain. This covers data up to March 2024. The report shows the scale of illness and injury in the transportation and storage industry. Revealing key trends and underlying causes.

The report states that 2.2 million working days are lost each year to workplace injuries and illnesses in transportation and storage. This is an increase from the previous period (2 million).

These lost days cost our industry approximately £1.3 billion over a year. They account for around 6% of the total cost of all work-related ill health and injury, which amounts to £21.5 billion.

From these figures, it is clear how valuable an investment in the right training can be. And what the human cost can be without it.

Non-fatal injury rates climb

In the latest report, an estimated 38,000 workers in transportation and storage sustained non-fatal injuries at work over a three-year period. This is equivalent to 2.4% of workers in our industry. It is an increase on the previous period (1.9%).

Of these injuries, 28% resulted in more than seven days of absence from work. This poses challenges for our industry, which is already short on skilled labour.

The warehousing workforce is greatly affected – 2.4% of its workers reported an injury. This may be related to the high percentage of temporary and short-term workers in the sector. These workers are not always given the same level training as permanent employees.

The rate in road haulage was close behind (2.3%). Indicative of the nature of the role. And risks involved outside the cab, in loading and unloading, for example.

Slips, trips, and falls remain the leading annual cause of non-fatal injuries (32%). On average, 21% of incidents continue to be because of handling, lifting, or carrying.

It is unfortunate that more is not being done to prevent these injuries. Especially when manual handling training is available that is designed to cater to transport and logistics operations. And is more accessible than ever through manual handling eLearning.

Fatal injuries decrease

According to the HSE statistics, there were 11 fatal injuries to workers in transportation and storage in 2023/2024. This is fewer than the annual five-year average (13 fatalities) and the previous year (15 fatalities). However, it is still 11 lives lost that may have been preventable through quality training, supervision, and management.

The fatal injury rate has fallen from 0.91 per 100,000 workers to 0.84 per 100,000 workers. However, this is still around 2.1 times the rate across all industries, showing that action needs to be taken.

The leading cause of fatal injuries in our industry remains being struck by a moving vehicle. It accounts for 32% of deaths. To save lives, safety improvements are needed in our industry. Ensuring you deliver the right operator and driver training is a good place to start.

For materials handling operations, making sure managers and supervisors are also adequately trained is also key. This could help reduce incident rates significantly. Today, companies can even train forklift managers via eLearning.

Work-related ill health requires action

Over the period 2021/22-2023/24, it is estimated that 68,000 workers suffered from work-related ill health in our industry. The rate of work-related ill health is now 4% (from 3.3% in the previous report). This is comparable to the rate across all industries.

In warehousing and road haulage, out of every 100,000 workers, around 3000 have experienced work-related illness.

The most common type of work-related ill health in our industry is musculoskeletal disorders (46%). This is an increase of 10% from the previous report.

Around 32,000 workers are affected. This means 1.9% of workers in our industry have suffered from musculoskeletal disorders across the year. More than the all-industries average (1.2%).

Those in road haulage are among the most at risk. Musculoskeletal disorders affect 2% of workers.

Driving heavy vehicles, extensive time driving, lifestyle factors, and moving loads all contribute to the risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder. However, this can be tackled easily via training. Whether that is Driver CPC Periodic Training, or manual handling training/eLearning.

Mental ill-health rates are stable

Another leading cause of work-related illness in transportation and storage was stress, depression, or anxiety (26%). Around 1% of the workforce has been affected by mental ill-health.

This rate is the same as in the last HSE report. It is also significantly lower than the rate across industries (2%). However, this still means that there are around 18,000 individuals in our industry that are experiencing work-related stress, depression, or anxiety.

Rates in this area have not worsened so maybe employers, and individuals, are prioritising mental health more. Perhaps they also have more awareness of what to do in the event of mental ill-health. And more strategies are there to help support the workforce.

However, more positive change is needed to drive these figures down. Whether that comes from appointing mental health first aiders or delivering mental health awareness training. If relevant, mental and physical health topics can also be part of Driver CPC Periodic Training.

What can we learn from the HSE statistics?

HSE’s latest statistics show the importance of health and safety best practice and training within transportation and storage.

The high rates of musculoskeletal disorders and non-fatal injuries, particularly in road transport and warehousing, highlight areas where targeted interventions could significantly enhance worker safety and wellbeing.

Employers should prioritise these areas to reduce work-related ill health and injuries. Helping create a safer working environment for all.

Ready to get started? Contact our friendly team of industry experts who can help advise you on ways to improve your training programs, safety, standards, and compliance.

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