Deaths at work stuck on six-year plateau

New statistics on deaths at work in the year to 31 March 2008 provide further confirmation that the total number and rate of fatal injuries have stabilised over the past six years and that the HSE and local authorities have been unable to make further significant dents in the toll¹ .

The relatively small numbers involved, however, compared with the number of non-fatal major injuries, means that no conclusions can be drawn about progress in 2007/08 towards the Revitalising health and safety target of reducing the fatal and major injury rate by 10% by 2009/10.