Health and Safety

Executi ve
Kinds of accident in Great Britain, 2013

Contents
Summary 2
Injury severity 3
Fatal injuries to workers 3
Non-fatal injuries to employees 4
Major injuries to employees 4
Over seven day injuries to employees 5
Labour Force Survey 5
Appendix 6
Links to data sources and tables 8


















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Summary
The information in this document relates to Health and Safety Statistics for 2012/13. The document can be
found at: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/kinds-of-accident.pdf.
This document gives an overview of the kinds of injuries to employees that were reported to all RIDDOR
enforcing authorities in 2012/13 provisional (p). In 2011/12, the RIDDOR reporting system changed. This
may have had effects on data quality and the definition of injury kinds
1
.
(www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/sources.htm#riddor provides further explanation).
The kind is a broad description of how the accident happened. Particular kinds tend to be associated with
different levels of injury severity, with limited year-to-year change in the proportions of each kind.
In 2012/13p:

Over half the fatal injuries to workers were of three kinds: falls from height; contact with moving
machinery; and being struck by a vehicle (RIDDOR);

Electricity, fire and drowning/asphyxiation accidents accounted for around one in twelve fatalities to
workers but fewer than one in a hundred non-fatal injuries to employees (RIDDOR);

Falls and slips & trips combined made up more than half of all reported major injuries and almost a third
of over seven day injuries to employees (RIDDOR);

Slip and trip injuries were the most commonly reported, accounting for three in every ten injury reports.
Handling was the most frequent cause of over seven day injury (RIDDOR);

An estimated three million working days were lost due to handling injuries and slips & trips (LFS).
Figure 1 Estimated working days lost by kind of self-reported non-fatal injury, 2012/13 (LFS)
2012/13p statistics for injury kinds are available on www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/ridkind1.xls (RIDDOR)
More detailed statistics for the top kinds of reportable injuries to employees are available at:

Handling pdf (www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/handling-injuries.pdf)

Slips, trips and falls pdf (www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/slips-trips-and-falls.pdf)

Vehicles pdf (www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/moving-vehicles.pdf)

Workplace transport pdf (finalised for 2010/11) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/workplace-
transport.pdf)

Handling (finalised for 2010/11) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/handlinginjuries-2006-07to2010-11.pdf

1
Main sources of coding discontinuities:
2008/09 Changes in coding practice by HSEs Incident Contact Centre (ICC). Slips or trips on stairs
were reclassified as falls from height. Fall numbers rose and slip or trip numbers fell. The effect was
disproportionately greater on fall numbers, which are lower.
2011/12 Mid year change in RIDDOR reporting system. Injury definitions now reflect reporters
interpretation of RIDDOR more directly Slips and trips on stairs can no longer be reclassified as falls.
2012/13 Change in RIDDOR reporting requirements for lost time injuries from over three days to
over seven days.
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Injury severity
Particular injury kinds are associated with different levels of severity of injury, with little year-to-year change
in the proportions. However, with a change from over three day to over seven day reporting in 2012/13,
slipping and tripping injuries have become the most common kind of reported injury, reflecting the reduction
in lost time injuries (which are predominantly handling).
Figure 2 shows how the main kinds are distributed at each level of injury severity.
Figure 2 Kind of employee injury by severity, 2012/13p
Fatal injuries to workers
2

In 2012/13:

Falls from height accounted for nearly a third of fatal injuries to workers. Half of fatal falls took place in
construction (23 put of 46 fatal fall injuries).

Agriculture (5) and manufacturing (6) accounted for around two-thirds of the fatal injuries caused by
contact with moving machinery (17 fatal injuries).

Agriculture and construction had the most deaths to self-employed people, with almost half of these due
to a fall from height (5 out of 20 in agriculture; 10 out of 12 in construction). Being injured by an animal
was the second largest cause of fatal injuries to the self-employed in agriculture (4 out of 20).

Vehicles, electricity, fire and drowning/asphyxiation accidents together accounted for one in five fatal
injuries to employees but only one in fifty non-fatal injuries. (RIDDOR)
Figure 3 Kinds of fatal injuries to workers, RIDDOR 2012/13p









2
Workers: employees plus self-employed people. RIDDOR reporting levels are low for non-fatal injuries to
the self-employed so non-fatal RIDDOR injury statistics normally exclude the self-employed.
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Non-fatal injuries to employees
In 2012/13p:

There were around three times as many over seven day injuries as majors (58 515 over seven day
and19 707 majors)
3
.

More than half of non-fatal injuries to employees involved a slip, trip or handling. These injury kinds rarely
result in fatalities.

A new RIDDOR reporting system
4
was introduced in September 2011. One effect of the change on the
statistics has been an increase in the number of injuries classed as unknown or other kind. These made
up 11% of all injuries in 2012/13p, compared to about 4% in the previous four years.
(www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/ridkind1.xls)

Handling is the biggest category of over seven day injuries (16 051 out of 58 515) but, with the change to
over seven day injury reporting and greater reliance on notifier definition of kind hence more injuries put
in unknown or other kind categories it is no longer the biggest category overall.
Major injuries to employees
In 2012/13p:

More than half of reported major injuries were caused by slips, trips and falls from height (RIDDOR 8 416
slips & trips and 2 522 falls out of 19 707). This is a rate of 43.6 major injuries due to slips, trips and falls
per 100 000 workers.

Health & social care (1 360), transportation & storage (1 064) and education (1 011) each reported more
than a thousand major slip & trip injuries.

A further quarter of major injuries were caused by being struck by a moving object (2 075) handling, lifting
or carrying (1 418) physical assault (761) and contact with machinery (760).
Figure 4 Major injuries to employees by kind RIDDOR (2012/13p)


Construction was the sector with most falls (541).

Manufacturing had the highest numbers of injuries due to being struck by a moving object (493) and to
lifting, handling & carrying (295).
Nearly twice as many men as women suffered a major injury (12 676 major injuries to males and 7 021 to
females). However, there was little gender difference for slips and trips. 4 175 females had slip/trip injuries,
compared to 4 234 males. [There are roughly the same number of men and women in the workforce.]

3
It is estimated that just over half of non-fatal injuries are reported. The reporting level varies by industry.
See LFS table www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/repind1_3yr.xls.
4
More detail can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/sources.htm#riddor
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Over seven day injuries to employees
In 2012/13p:

There were 58 515 reported over seven day injuries - three times as many as major injuries.

Handling accounted for over a quarter of over seven day injuries (16 051). J ust over a further quarter
were due to slips & trips. (15 184).

Handling and slips & trips were the top two distinct
5
kinds across all industry sections.

Three industry sectors account for 30% of employment but for more than half of reported over seven day
injuries. These sectors are health & social care (10 861), manufacturing (10 484) and transportation &
storage (9 137).

Physical assault was the third highest reported injury kind in health & social care, representing around
one in five over seven day injuries in the sector.

Being struck by a moving object was the third highest distinct kind in manufacturing (12% of over seven
days) and transportation & storage (10%).

Figure 5 Kinds of over seven day injuries to employees (RIDDOR 2012/13p)

Labour Force Survey
In the latest Labour Force Survey results (3 year average 2010/11 to 2012/13) an estimated:

57 000 new cases of slipping and tripping injuries led to workers being away from work for more than
three days. This is an estimated rate of about 200 injuries per 100 000 workers.
(See www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/injkind1_3yr.xls LFS)

55 000 new cases of handling, injury led to workers being away from work for more than three days. This
is an estimated rate of about 190 per 100 000 workers.
(See www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/injkind1_3yr.xls, LFS)

three million working days were lost due to handling injuries and slips & trips
(LFS www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/injkind2.xls).


5
Ie. not identified as other" or unknown kind

Appendix
Injury kind classifications, RIDDOR (2012/13) and LFS.
Code Description of injury kind
1 Contact with machinery
2 Struck by moving object
3 Struck by moving vehicle
4 Struck against
5 Lifting and handling injuries
6 Slip, trip, fall same level
7 Fall from height
8 Trapped by something collapsing
9 Drowned or asphyxiated
10 Exposure to harmful substance
11 Exposed to fire
12 Exposed to explosion
13 Contact with electricity
14 Injured by an animal
15 Physical assault
16 Another kind of accident
This is a shortened version of the RIDDOR kind codes used from April 2001/02 to September 2011.
New
group Code Full description of injury kind
16 10 No information on kind of accident.
1 110 Contact with moving machinery or material being machined.
2 210 Hit by object(s) free falling from structures e.g. buildings, ladders, mine shaft.
2 220
Hit by object(s) free falling from lifting machinery, vehicles and other equipment.
Include components of machinery which may fall but still attached.
2 230 Hit by objects or material ejected whilst using machinery or hand tools.
2 240
Hit by material under pressure during normal operation of machinery or other
equipment.
2 250
Hit by objects or material following an explosion or implosion of pressurized
equipment e.g. tyres, jars.
2 260
Hit by hand tools in use. (Count here injuries where people strike themselves
against hand tools).
2 270
Accidentally hit by another person e.g. hit by another person who tripped or fell
onto them.
2 280 Hit by a moving, flying or falling object in another way not specified above.
2 290 Hit by a moving, flying or falling object - unknown way.
3 310 Hit by a vehicle moving forward.
3 320 Hit by a reversing vehicle.
3 330 Overturning vehicle where overturn is injury causing factor.
3 340 Hit by a runaway vehicle not driven
3 390 Hit by a moving vehicle - unknown way.
4 410 Walk into or strike (arm etc.) against structure, machinery, stored goods etc.
4 420 Hit against part of vehicle whilst travelling in it.
4 430 Step onto small items on the ground (nails etc.).
4 480 Hit something fixed or stationary in another way not specified above.
4 490 Hit something fixed or stationary - unknown way.
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New
group Code Full description of injury kind
5 510
Injured through cuts from sharp/coarse material or equipment or from trapped
fingers.
5 520
Injury through sprains/strains from body movement whether or not a load is
involved.
5 530 Injured while manually handling or supporting a person.
5 540 Injured while handling/transferring a person using people handling equipment.
5 550 Injury through lifting or putting down loads.
5 560 Injury through pushing/pulling loads.
5 570 Injury through carrying loads.
5 580 Injured while handling, lifting or carrying in another way not specified above.
5 590 Injured while handling, lifting or carrying - unknown way.
6 610
Slipped on wet surface (water and other liquids) or other substance (grease, oil,
food).
6 620
Slipped on dry surface (ceramic tiles, polished floors, smooth surface) or dry
products/item on the surface.
6 630 Tripped over obstruction (furniture, small items, work materials, boxes, waste).
6 640 Tripped over uneven floor surface (cavity, channel, drain, manhole).
6 680 Slipped, tripped or fell on the same level in another way not specified above.
6 690 Slipped, tripped or fell on the same level - unknown way.
7 710 Fall from a height, over 2 metres.
7 720 Fall from a height, up to and including 2 metres.
7 790 Fall from a height - unspecified distance.
8 810 Trapped by something collapsing or overturning.
9 910
Drowning or near drowning in water e.g. swimming pools, bath, lake, river, quarry
lagoon, sub-sea.
9 920 Drowning in other liquids e.g. in containers, vessels, tanks, slurry pit.
9 930
Asphyxiation or near asphyxiation due to engulfment in material e.g. in silos,
towers.
9 940 Asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen in confined area
9 950 Asphyxiation due to choking.
9 980 Drowning or asphyxiation in another way not specified above
9 990 Drowning or asphyxiation - unknown way.
10 1010
Exposed to, or contact with, a harmful substance during handling, dispensing,
filling, mixing.
10 1020
Exposed to, or contact with, harmful substance due to failure, leak or burst from
equipment or machines, or other unplanned release.
10 1030
Exposed to, or contact with, harmful substance during normal operation with no
fault of equipment/machine or vehicle. (Not accidentally released).
10 1040 Exposed to, or contact with, hot/cold objects/liquids/material (scalds).
10 1050
Exposed to, or contact with, infectious substances, pathogens or biological
material, including bacteria and cultured viruses, in blood or blood products, body
fluids.
10 1060 Exposed to high/low ambient temperature in atmosphere.
10 1080
Exposed to, or contact with, a harmful substance in another way not specified
above.
10 1090 Exposed to, or contact with, a harmful substance - unknown way.
11 1110 Exposed to fire or fumes from uncontrolled fire.
12 1210 Exposed to an explosion from igniting materials.
13 1310 Contact with electricity or electrical discharge.

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New
group Code Full description of injury kind
14 1410 Injured by an animal.
15 1510 Physically assaulted by a person.
16 1610 Other known kind of accident not listed above.

Links to data sources and tables
Data Sources Web Address (URL)
Labour Force Survey
(LFS) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/sources.htm#lfs
Voluntary reporting of
occupational diseases by
specialist doctors (THOR) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/sources.htm#thor
Voluntary reporting of
occupational diseases by
General Practitioners
(THOR GP) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/sources.htm#odin
RIDDOR (The Reporting
Of Injuries, Diseases and
Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 1995) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/sources.htm#riddor
Tables Web Address (URL)
RIDKIND1 www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/ridkind1.xls
RIDKIND2 - www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/ridkind2.xls
RIDKIND3- www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/ridkind3.xls
INJ KIND1 www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/injkind1.xls
INJ KIND1_3YR www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/injkind1_3yr.xls
INJ KIND2 www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/injkind2.xls
MSDIND4_3YR www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/msdind4_3yr.xls
MSDMHW1_3YR www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/msdmhw_3yr.xls
ULNMHW1_3YR www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/ulnmhw1_3yr.xls
ULNIND2_3YR www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/ulnind2_3yr.xls
www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/kinds-of-accident.htm Kinds of injury
www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/kinds-of-accident.pdf
Slips trips and falls www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/slips-trips-and-falls.pdf
Vehicle injuries www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/moving-vehicles.pdf
Handling injuries www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/handling-injuries.pdf
Handling injuries (finalised
for 2010/11) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/handlinginjuries-2006-07to2010-11.pdf
Workplace transport
injuries (finalised for
2010/11) www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/workplace-transport.pdf
Other tables www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/index.htm

.
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First published 10/13.



Published by the Health and Safety Executive V1 10/13
National Statistics
The RIDDOR and LFS figures in this report are National Statistics.
National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of
Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They
are produced free from any political interference.
An account of how the figures are used for statistical purposes can be found at
www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/sources.htm.
For information regarding the quality guidelines used for statistics within HSE see
www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/about/quality-guidelines.htm.
A revisions policy and log can be seen at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/about/revisions/
Additional data tables can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/.

Statistician: Stephen Wright
Contact: stephen.cosas.wright@hse.gsi.gov.uk

Last Update: October 2013
Next Update: October 2014