Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of fatalities that occurred in the workplace were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) puts duties on employers and other people in charge of work premises to report and keep records of all work-related fatalities, work related injuries, diagnosed cases of re-portable occupational diseases, and certain 'dangerous occurrences' (incidents with the potential to cause harm).
When reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) all fatalities undergo an initial triage investigation to determine whether the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 applies or not. An assessment is made to determine whether a full investigation is appropriate. Consideration is given to whether all reasonably practical precautions were taken, evidence is still available, the death was ‘work-related’ or it resulted from natural causes. Where appropriate, this will result in a full investigation by an Inspector.
The table below only shows the number of RIDDOR reportable fatal injuries in HSE enforced premises and investigated by HSE.
Year | No. RIDDOR reportable fatalities enforced by HSE |
2022/23 | 156 |
2023/24 | 166 (r) |
2024/25 | 154 (p) |
Note:
Figures for 2024/25 are provisional and are marked as 'p' in the tables. They will be finalised in July 2026 following any necessary adjustments. Figures for 2023/24 have been revised (finalised) and are marked as 'r' in the tables.
Data on all fatalities in the workplace including for example, deaths from natural causes, is not available.
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many incidents of companies failing to provide adequate personal protective equipment to their employees were reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This data is not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of fatalities that occurred in the workplace and were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive involved inadequate provision of personal protective equipment in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many injuries occurred in the workplace in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) puts duties on employers and other people in charge of work premises to report and keep records of all work-related fatalities, work related injuries, diagnosed cases of reportable occupational diseases, and certain 'dangerous occurrences' (incidents with the potential to cause harm).
The purpose of RIDDOR is to inform the relevant enforcing authority (Health and Safety Executive (HSE), local authorities or other enforcing authorities) that a work-related accident or event has happened to enable an appropriate regulatory response where required.
Not all injuries that occur in the workplace are ‘work-related’ and not all work-related injuries are reportable under RIDDOR. Only certain specified work-related injuries, injuries to member of the public where they are taken to hospital for treatment and injuries resulting in employees being absent from work for over 7 days are reportable. Therefore, RIDDOR only provides a partial picture of injuries occurring in the workplace.
The following data is the number of RIDDOR reports relating to specified injuries to employees, work-related injuries to members of the public and over-7-day absences for HSE only i.e. it does not include injury reports notified to local authorities, the Office of Rail and Road or the Office of Nuclear Regulation who also regulate under RIDDOR.
2022/23 – 59,774
2023/24 – 61,708
[Figures for 2024/25 have not been finalised yet.]
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many reports of inadequacy in the provision of personal protective equipment were received by the Health and Safety Executive in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This data is not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many actions the Health and Safety Executive took against companies for failing to meet personal protective equipment legal standards in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requirement to provide suitable and sufficient personal protective equipment is addressed in different health and safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, The Personal Protection Equipment at Work Regulation 1992.
Where breaches of health and safety legislation are identified, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will consider enforcement action in line with its Enforcement Policy Statement and Enforcement Management Model. Enforcement action includes verbal warnings, letters of Notification of Contravention, Enforcement Notices and prosecution.
The data provided below is the number of enforcement notices served for breaches of the Personal Protection Equipment at Work Regulation 1992. Information on all enforcement taken by HSE relating to the provision of personal protective equipment is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Year | Notices served |
2022/23 | 16 |
2023/24 | 11 |
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of injuries that occurred in the workplace were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) puts duties on employers and other people in charge of work premises to report and keep records of all work-related fatalities, work related injuries, diagnosed cases of reportable occupational diseases, and certain 'dangerous occurrences' (incidents with the potential to cause harm).
The purpose of RIDDOR is to inform the relevant enforcing authority (Health and Safety Executive (HSE), local authorities or other enforcing authorities) that a work-related accident or event has happened to enable an appropriate regulatory response where required. This is to ensure businesses maintain compliance with their duties and responsibilities under health and safety law.
HSE does not investigate everything that is reported. When a RIDDOR report is received, each report is considered against HSE’s published Incident Selection Criteria to help determine what will be investigated. Consideration is also given to the seriousness of the incident and the level of risk, or potential risk, that exists along with any previous enforcement history of the duty holder.
The following data is for RIDDOR reports received by the HSE relating to work-related fatalities, work related injuries (workers and non-workers) and over-7-day absences.
Year | RIDDOR reports | Accidents investigated | % investigated |
2022/23 | 59,910 | 1,949 | 3% |
2023/24 | 61,846 | 1,956 | 3% |
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many checks of the adequacy of the provision of personal protective equipment were carried out by the Health and Safety Executive in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many fatalities occurred in the workplace in the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) puts duties on employers and other people in charge of work premises to report and keep records of all work-related fatalities, work related injuries, diagnosed cases of re-portable occupational diseases, and certain 'dangerous occurrences' (incidents with the potential to cause harm).
The table below shows the number of fatal injuries sustained in work-related accidents for both workers and members of the public in each of the last two financial years. Data for 2024/25 has not yet been finalised.
Year | Number of worker deaths | Number of member of the public deaths |
2022/23 | 136 | 73 |
2023/24 | 138 | 86 |
Asked by: Kirsteen Sullivan (Labour (Co-op) - Bathgate and Linlithgow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of injuries that occurred in the workplace and were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive involved inadequate provision of personal protective equipment the (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 reporting year.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.