Midlands a hot spot for serious workplace accidents
The latest statistics released by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have shown areas in the Midlands to be a hot spot for serious accidents at work.
The public body, which provides information and guidance on workplace health and safety, found that several areas in the Midlands had injury rates way higher than the national average.
The worrying geographical variation showed that while the national rate for England is 212 workers injured for every 100,000 workers, one area of the Midlands – North Warwickshire – had 852 workers injured per 100,000.
Other hot spots include South Staffordshire with 599 workers injured per 100,000, Bolsover, Derbyshire with 550 workers injured per 100,000 and North West Leicestershire with 494 workers per 100,000.
Philip Edwards, partner in our Birmingham office, specialising in claims after an accident at work, said:
“Dangerous accidents in the workplace must be reported to the HSE and the latest figures are worrying for our region.
“Whilst we all know of the proud heritage of the Midlands which remains at the vanguard of industry, times have moved on since the industrial revolution, and with modern safety practices we simply should not be seeing this number of injuries in our region.
“With injuries occurring at two or three times the national average, responsible businesses need to look again at their work systems to make sure they are as safe as they can possibly be – the goal should be to eradicate accidents at work entirely.
“The impact of a serious, sometimes life-changing, injury at work cannot be understated. The financial worry of being unable to work impacts the injured person and often their family and loved ones, let alone the pain and suffering caused.”
The statistics follow recent evidence that farming remains the most dangerous profession in the UK with 27 people losing their lives on farms in 2023/2024 and that while agriculture only accounts for 1% of the working population, 20% of all workplace deaths are in this sector.
Our personal injury team acts for severely injured agricultural workers and their families to help secure the best treatment, care, rehabilitation and compensation. For more information contact a member of the team today on 0800 652 8025 or send an enquiry.
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