---
title: Injured workers cost the UK around £20.7 billion per year
description: UKIM OH Partnership Director Alan Ballard discusses the crucial role health and safety plays in reducing accidents and injuries in the workplace.
image: https://www.ukim-oh.com/hubfs/UKIM%20Occupational%20Health%20and%20Wellbeing/News-Blog/health-and-safety-at-work-ukim-occupational-health.jpg
---

# Injured workers cost the UK around £20.7 billion per year

 Date:  24/04/2024

 

## Why improving health and safety in the workplace needs addressing

[New data has found](https://workplacewellbeing.pro/news/safety-shock-15-increase-in-construction-fatalities-in-the-past-year/) that the number of fatal incidents in the UK construction industry have risen by 20% in the past 5 years. The rise can be attributed to various things, but for fatalities in the workplace, the number is high and more could be prevented.

Health and Safety in the workplace should be classed as priority number one, as it keeps employees safe, business needs will be met, as well as the law. [The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974](https://www.britsafe.org/training-and-learning/informational-resources/the-health-and-safety-at-work-act-explained#:~:text=The%20Health%20and%20Safety%20at%20Work%20Act%201974,-As%20a%20brief&text=Adequate%20training%20of%20staff%20to,within%20it%20are%20conducted%20safely#:~:text=The%20Health%20and%20Safety%20at%20Work%20Act%201974,-As%20a%20brief&text=Adequate%20training%20of%20staff%20to,within%20it%20are%20conducted%20safely), requires the workplace to provide “adequate training of staff to ensure health and safety procedures are understood and adhered to; adequate welfare provisions for staff at work; and a safe working environment that is properly maintained and where operations within it are conducted safely.”

Fatalities being the worst outcome, there’s also a lot of injuries within certain fields of work like construction and factory equipment-using jobs. Many days are lost due to various types of injuries and according to recent findings, injured workers [cost the UK around £20.7 billion in 2021/22.](https://www.firstmats.co.uk/blogs/buying-guides/cost-workplace-accidents-injuries-health-statistics-summary#heading-2#heading-2)

Having health and safety within the workplaces, will help stop fatalities and prevent injuries, so that the people and the overall business is safe. The workplace should be a trusted place and so having some extra safety measures will help improve a lot of aspects within the business.

**UKIM Occupational Health & Wellbeing’s Partnership Director, Alan Ballard, shares why it’s crucial that health and safety must be observed in the workplace…**

“It is a company’s responsibility to ensure that the Health and Safety at Work Act is observed. A key component of the Act is to ensure that detailed risk assessments are conducted. Risk assessments should include categorisation of job roles according to risk, including a clinically validated medical assessment standard for each role, both for health surveillance and fitness for work. This should be undertaken with contributions from safety teams and occupational health experts.

At UKIM we support our customers to manage and mitigate risk by setting up company-wide medical fitness standards according to risk profiles, forward planning medical assessment programmes a year in advance. As part of this process we capture new starters, leavers, and ‘job changers’ to assist our clients in discharging their statutory obligations.”

### **Services which help support your business with Health and Safety: **

- [Pre-placement Assessments](https://www.ukim-oh.com/our-services/pre-placement-assessment)
- [Health Surveillance](https://www.ukim-oh.com/our-services/health-surveillance)
- [Occupational Health Case Management ](https://www.ukim-oh.com/our-services/occupational-health-case-management)

![uk-independent-medical-11 (2)](https://www.ukim-oh.com/hs-fs/hubfs/UKIM%20Occupational%20Health%20and%20Wellbeing/News-Blog/uk-independent-medical-11%20(2).jpg?width=131&height=197&name=uk-independent-medical-11%20(2).jpg)

**Alan Ballard is Partnership Director at UKIM.  
**With over 15 years experience in the Occupational Health sector, Alan has worked on some of the largest OH contracts in the UK, utilising his skills in Project Management, Modelling and Account Management.

**[*Meet more members of our Senior Team ››*](https://www.ukim-oh.com/our-people)**

 

#### Want more Occupational Health insights to help your business? You may also like to read...

- [NHS waitlist set to reach over 8 million by mid 2024 - can Occupational Health Services help?](https://www.ukim-oh.com/news/latest-news/nhs-waitlist-set-to-reach-over-8-million-by-mid-2024-can-occupational-health-services-help/)
- [UKIM Awarded Place on ESPO Framework for Occupational Health and Employee Assistance Programme Services.](https://www.ukim-oh.com/news/latest-news/ukim-awarded-place-on-espo-framework-for-occupational-health-and-employee-assistance-programme-services/)
- [Enhancing Employee Retention and Recruitment: The Role of Occupational Health Services.](https://www.ukim-oh.com/news/latest-news/enhancing-employee-retention-and-recruitment/)
- [Respiratory Health in the Workplace: The Importance of Occupational Health Services](https://www.ukim-oh.com/news/latest-news/respiratory-health-in-the-workplace-the-importance-of-occupational-health-services/)
- [What are the legal requirements and regulations related to Occupational Health and Safety?](https://www.ukim-oh.com/news/latest-news/what-are-the-legal-requirements-and-regulations-related-to-occupational-health-and-safety/)
- [How do Occupational Health services support employer duty of care?](https://www.ukim-oh.com/news/latest-news/how-do-occupational-health-services-support-employer-duty-of-care/)
- [How Investing in Occupational Health Services can lead to greater ROI ](https://www.ukim-oh.com/news/latest-news/how-investing-in-occupational-health-services-can-lead-to-greater-roi/)
- [Occupational Health Referrals for Employees and how to make them.](https://www.ukim-oh.com/news/latest-news/occupational-health-referrals-for-employees-and-how-to-make-them/)

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