October 6, 2003—The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a new summary of the latest statistics on work-related ill health in Great Britain. Occupational Health Statistics Bulletin 2002/03 provides an overall picture regarding work-related illness and the demographic characteristics of those affected, with comparative figures for different occupations, industrial sectors, and areas, as well as the latest position for specific types of occupational ill health.
Overall self-reported work-related ill health prevalence in Great Britain stood at 2.3 million people in 2001-02, accounting for 33 million working days lost, according to a household survey first published in 2002.
A breakdown of these figures reveals that:
- In terms of socio-economic classification, lower managerial and professional workers had the highest prevalence numbers and rates.
- Males accounted for more of the prevalence and the working days lost than females, and had a higher prevalence rate (as a percentage of people who had ever worked).
- Among people of working age, the prevalence rate and days lost per worker generally increased with age, especially among males.
- Occupations with the highest overall self-reported prevalence rates in 2001-02 included protective services (e.g. police), health & social welfare associate professionals (e.g. nurses), skilled construction & building trades, and teaching & research professionals.
The latest figures show a mixed picture for specific types of work-related illness. For example:
- Surveillance data for musculoskeletal disorders and stress show little change in the most recent year, 2002.
- The numbers of deaths from mesothelioma and of new disablement benefit cases of asbestosis continue to rise, reflecting past exposures to asbestos.
- The estimated incidence of occupational asthma and of contact dermatitis have not changed much recently, although the data for asthma indicate a possible decrease in the last three years.
- The number of occupational infections reported by specialist doctors in 2002 was high due to several large outbreaks of diarrhoeal disease.
- The number of new disablement benefit cases of occupational deafness has remained fairly constant in the last four years, following a long-term decline.
The Occupational Health Statistics Bulletin 2002/03 (pdf file) is available from the HSE Web site.
