The Most Dangerous Place to Work in the UK Revealed
Research conducted by our Health and Safety experts at Rhino Safety has revealed that people who work in Wales are 1.3x more likely to die or suffer an injury at work than the rest of the UK.
Using data collected by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the team compared figures including the number of fatal and non-fatal injuries by region to determine the average rate of death and injury in the workplace based on population size.
It found like workers in Wales are more likely to die or be injured in work than any other part of the UK. The East Midlands is 2nd, while the West Midlands is 3rd.
To understand why workers in these areas are more at risk, it’s important to look at the primary industries that can be found in each region. According to the HSE, Wales is home to a large proportion of high-risk industries such as the agricultural and forestry sector. Other significant high-risk industries include aerospace, construction, electronics, food, fishing, manufacturing, oil and gas, renewable energy and textiles.
Our research also indicates that workers in London and the South East are least likely to experience fatal or non-fatal injuries while at work. London’s main industries include banking, finance, broking, insurance and legal are primarily office-based workplaces, which may account for the lower rate of deaths and injuries.
The research also found that men are 23x more likely to die in the workplace than women. Men account for 94.99%, while women account for 5.01% Although the number of women who work high-risk occupations has increased in the last 20-years, men statistically hold the majority in high-risk jobs such as construction or engineering. As a result, the statistic suggests that men are, on average, more at risk of suffering a fatal workplace injury in the workplace.
The most common cause of workplace fatalities is falling from height (25%) followed closely by being struck by a moving vehicle (20%) and struck by a moving object (14%).
The most common cause of workplace injury is slips, trips and falls (33%) injuries sustained during manual handling (18%) and being struck by a moving object (10%).
Reflecting on the results, Simon Walter, Director of Rhino Safety said, “Considering the course of the past 2 years, health and safety has never been so visible. Despite this, the deaths and injuries in the workplace continue to remain an issue.
“Our aim with this research is not to put individuals off working in certain regions or industries – far from it. Our main goal is to highlight how vital health and safety is in the workplace, and the role that employers and employees both play to ensure the wellbeing of workers in the UK, wherever they are.”
While it’s also interesting to note which region is considered the safest to work in the UK, it’s essential that we remember that accidents can happen anywhere, even in offices where we may feel safe. It’s important to remember that there is no such thing as a 100% safe workplace.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. What we can do is take proactive action where possible. It’s vital that employers ensure they have clear and concise health and safety policies in place to safeguard their employees, and that employees commit to ensuring good practice is followed at all times.
The Results
The results of our research can be seen below, broken down into different sets of data. It’s clear to see not only the most common locations, but the severity of accidents and injury across different locations as well.
A lot of this comes from the type of work done, but as mentioned above, accidents can occur in any workplace without the right rules and processes in place.
Places Where You’re Most Like To Die Or Be Injured At Work In The UK
| No. | Location | Death/Injury compared to Average | Fatal / Non-Fatal Injury per 100,000 |
| 1 | Wales | 1.268 | 304 |
| 2 | East Midlands | 1.163 | 279 |
| 3 | West Midlands | 1.08 | 259 |
| 4 | Yorkshire and the Humber | 1.067 | 256 |
| 5 | North West | 1.047 | 251 |
| 6 | Scotland | 1.034 | 248 |
| 7 | North East | 1.034 | 248 |
| 8 | East | 1.009 | 242 |
| 9 | England and Wales | 0.997 | 239 |
| 10 | South West | 0.984 | 236 |
| 11 | South East | 0.884 | 212 |
| 12 | London | 0.742 | 178 |
Data, results and methodology used can be found here. Data sourced from Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports from 2020/21.
Most Common Causes Of Fatal Injuries
| No. | Cause of Fatal Injuries by Most Common Accident Kinds | Percentage |
| 1 | Falls from Height | 25% |
| 2 | Struck by Moving Vehicle | 20% |
| 3 | Struck by Moving Object | 14% |
| 4 | Trapped by Something Collapsing / Overturning | 10% |
| 5 | Contact with Moving Machinery | 9% |
Most Common Causes Of Non-Fatal Injuries
| No. | Cause of Non-Fatal Injury by Most Common Accident Kinds | Percentage |
| 1 | Slips, Trips and Falls | 33% |
| 2 | Injured While Handling / Lifting / Carrying | 18% |
| 3 | Struck by Moving Object | 10% |
| 4 | Acts of Violence | 8% |
| 5 | Falls from Height | 8% |
Most Likely To Experience Fatal / Non-Fatal Injuries By Gender
| Most Likely to Experience Fatal / Non-Fatal Injuries by Gender | Percentage |
| Men | 94.99% |
| Women | 5.01% |
How Can You Improve Health And Safety In Your Workplace?
There are a number of ways you can reduce the risk of accidents and injuries in the workplace. The right processes and policies can make sure staff are aware of any hazards and what they need to do about them. Risk assessments, up-to-date training, and easy-to-understand resources are just a part of making an environment safer, but there’s always work to be done to improve safety further.
Get in touch with the team at Rhino Safety today and find out how our experts can help with Health and Safety in your workplace.