Surface Engineering - Injury statistics in manufacturing industries

The number of fatal injuries to workers in manufacturing fell by 13% in 2002/03 to 42 from 48 in 2001/02.This figure is the joint lowest for the eleven-year period 1992 to 2002/03.

The number of fatal injuries to employees fell to 41 in 2002/03 from 47 in 2001/02. There was one fatal injury to the self-employed in 2002/03.

The rate of fatal injury to workers fell slightly in 2002/03 to 1.2 from 1.3 in 2001/02, and is lower than in most of the 1990s.

Of the 42 fatal injuries in 2002/03 in the manufacturing sector, 11 were in the manufacture of fabricated metal products, 4 were in rubber and plastic manufacturing, 4 were in the manufacture of non-metallic mineral products and 3 were in food and beverages production.

The number of reported major injuries to employees in manufacturing fell by 4% in 2002/03 to 6,809 from 7,080 in 2001/02. This is the lowest number reported during the seven-year period from 1996/97 to 2002/03.

The rate of major injury to employees in manufacturing increased slightly in 2002/03 to 195.5 from 194.9 in 2001/02.

28% (1,923 of 6,809) major injuries to employees in manufacturing resulted from slips or trips, 17% (1,141 of 6,809) resulted from being struck by a moving or falling object, 15% (1,025 of 6,809) resulted from handling accidents.

In 2001/02 the LFS averaged rate of reportable non-fatal injury to workers in manufacturing fell slightly to 2,070 from 2080 in 2000/01 but has remained relatively steady since 1999/2000. The rate of reported injury during this period fell by 3% indicating slight deterioration in the level of reporting in manufacturing.

The rate of reported injury to employees in manufacturing fell by 2% in 2002/03 to 1,130 from 1,158 in 2001/02. The averaged LFS figure for 2002/03 will be available for next year’s report and this will confirm if there is a further deterioration in the reporting level.