Health and Safety Executive

Table SWIT1 - 2007/08

Estimated days (full-day equivalent) off work and associated average days lost per (full-time equivalent) worker and per case due to a self-reported work-related illness or workplace injury

Type of complaint Sample cases $ Days lost (thousands) Average days lost per worker Average days lost per case+
central 95% C.I. central 95% C.I. central 95% C.I.
lower upper lower upper lower upper
All illnesses£ 1289 27649 25011 30287 1.15 1.04 1.26 21.9 20.0 23.8
  Musculoskeletal disorders 501 8845 7422 10268 0.37 0.31 0.43 16.4 14.0 18.8
    mainly affecting the upper limbs or neck 160 2828 2081 3575 0.12 0.086 0.15 13.3 10.0 16.5
    mainly affecting the lower limbs 88 1867 1214 2521 0.078 0.050 0.10 21.8 15.0 28.6
    mainly affecting the back 253 4149 3129 5169 0.17 0.13 0.21 17.2 13.4 21.1
  Stress, depression or anxiety 484 13547 11635 15458 0.56 0.48 0.64 30.6 26.9 34.4
  Other illnesses 302 5214 4094 6333 0.22 0.17 0.26 18.8 15.1 22.4
  Missing illness type 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
All injuries 870 6262 5298 7227 0.26 0.22 0.30 7.7 6.6 8.8
All illnesses and injuries 2112 33911 31095 36728 1.41 1.29 1.53 16.9 15.6 18.2

Notes:

$ For people taking time off work

.. Not applicable

+ "case" refers to persons suffering from a workplace injury or a particular type of work-related illness.

95% C.I.: 95% confidence interval, the range within which we are 95% confident that the true value lies in the absence of bias.

£ The 'All Illness' days lost central estimate includes cases of illness where the illness type was unknown. Therefore the days lost central estimate for musculoskeletal disorders, stress, depression or anxiety and other illness do not sum to the all illness days lost central estimate.

Estimates for 2007/08 have been revised (March 2009) due to a reclassification of a small number of cases.

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Updated 27.10.09