HSE publishes annual workplace health and safety statistics
The HSE has released their annual workplace health and safety statistics.
FISA has extracted the following key statistics related to forestry within the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing sector in Great Britain:
Fatal Injuries:
- Fatal injuries to workers: 23 fatal injuries occurred in 2024/25, compared to an annual average of 25 fatalities over 2020/21-2024/25.
- Fatal injuries to the public: 4 fatalities in 2024/25, compared to an annual average of 5 over the same period.
- Main causes of fatal injuries:
- Struck by moving vehicle (23%)
- Struck by moving/flying/falling object (16%)
- Contact with moving machinery (16%)
- Injured by an animal (11%)
- Falls from a height (11%)
- Fatal injury rate: 8.77 per 100,000 workers, approximately 22 times higher than the all-industry rate.
Non-Fatal Injuries:
- Non-fatal injuries to workers: An estimated 8,000 workers sustained non-fatal injuries annually on average between 2020/21-2024/25.
- Main causes of non-fatal injuries:
- Slips, trips, or falls on the same level (25%)
- Struck by moving/flying/falling object (12%)
- Falls from a height (12%)
- Injured by an animal (11%)
- Contact with moving machinery (10%)
- Injured while handling, lifting, or carrying (10%)
- Rate of non-fatal injuries: 3.2% of workers in the sector sustained non-fatal injuries, significantly higher than the all-industry rate of 1.7%.
Ill Health:
- Work-related ill health: An estimated 9,000 workers suffered from work-related ill health (new or long-standing) annually on average between 2020/21 and 2024/25.
- Musculoskeletal disorders: 67% of work-related ill health cases in the sector were musculoskeletal disorders, affecting approximately 6,000 workers annually on average during the same period.
- Farmers’ lung: On average, 7 deaths per year were recorded between 1993-2024 due to farmers’ lung (allergic alveolitis caused by inhaling dust or spores from mouldy hay, grain, and straw). Non-fatal cases are likely much higher.
- Occupational asthma: The incidence of occupational asthma is somewhat higher than the average for all industries but not among the highest rates.
- Skin disease: No clear indication that contact dermatitis is higher than the average for all industries.
- Occupational cancer: Around 300 annual cancer registrations in 2004 were attributed to past work in agriculture industries, with one-third being non-melanoma skin cancer related to solar radiation.
Economic Cost:
- The total cost of workplace injury and ill health in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing sector in 2023/24 was estimated between £67M - £213M, accounting for 1% of the total cost of all work-related ill health and injury in Great Britain (£22.9 billion).
These statistics highlight the significant health and safety challenges faced by workers in the forestry sector, including high rates of musculoskeletal disorders, fatal injuries, and non-fatal injuries compared to other industries. The work of FISA to help make the forest industry a safer place for everyone is as important as ever.