The Self reported Work-related Illness survey 2004/2005 indicates that of the two million around 600,000 workers were affected by the illness for the first time in the last year. These figures equated to around 28 million working days lost to the British economy every year.
HSE chief rxecutive Geoffrey Podger said: “Some 28 million days is a huge loss to the British economy. HSE is working with employers, trades unions and other government departments to bring this down. In the past year we have launched Workplace Health Connect and the Government more widely launched it’s Health Work and Well Being strategy to keep British workers healthy and in work.”
Key cases of ill health include:
– Musculoskeletal Disorder’s (MSD’s) are the biggest cause of work-related ill health, around one million people suffering MSD’s that they believe was caused or made worse by work
– Stress is the next biggest cause of occupational ill health, around half a million people estimated to be suffering work related stress
In the past 12 months the trend appears to have reversed:
– Around 246,000 new cases of work related stress
– Around 206,000 new case of MSD’s
