When the HSE (Health & Safety Executive) studied the facts and figures relating to work-related illnesses and deaths they also looked at the geographical details. Examining the rate per 100,000 employees in the North East, it was found that 4.6 per cent of these workers have suffered from ill-health during the last year.
This indicated that the North East was the most dangerous area of the country in which to work. Comparatively, only 2.9 per cent of workers in London have been in ill-health in the past 12 months. It wasn’t all bad news for those in the North East as this part of England had the lowest amount of fatal work-related injuries (2). The South East and Scotland had the highest number with 22.
Throughout each year it is expected to a certain extent that some members of staff will miss work through illness. However, in 2011/12 there were as many as 22.7million working days lost as a result of this and a further 4.3million due to injuries suffered in the workplace. Workplace injuries and illness are said to cost society around £13.8billion – £2.8billion to employers, £3billion to the Government and £7.9billion to individuals.
