Administrative and Support Services fourth most fatal UK industry

New research has discovered the most fatal industries to work in, with agriculture taking the top spot. We were taken by surprise to see Administrative and Support Services on the fourth place. Find out why the role isn’t without its risks to PAs and EAs safety.

Accident compensation experts at Claims analysed HSE data to discover the industries that had the highest fatality rates per 100,000 workers from 2021-2022 along with their average salary in the UK.

Agriculture is top of the list for the most dangerous industry, with 8.03 fatalities per 100,000 workers. Despite agriculture having the most fatalities, the industry has an average salary of £25,000, this being lower than the UK average of £33,000. Common accidents in agriculture include overturning tractors due to unsafe driving conditions or operator errors, suffocation from farming buildings with low ventilation levels, and crushed limbs from heavy machinery.

Second in the ranking is construction, which has an average salary of £43,000, with 1.47 fatalities per 100,000 workers. Construction workers can face accidents such as falls from unsecured ladders or scaffolding, electrocution, and forklift rollovers from faults or improper turning.

Transportation and storage places third with 1.08 fatalities for every 100,000th worker, which has an average salary of £26,000. Falls from a height, being struck by moving vehicles, and being hit by a moving or falling object are common accidents in this sector, which can cause fatalities in severe cases.

Administrative and support services rank as fourth most fatal industry

Fourth on the list is administrative and support services, which has an average salary of £25,000 and 0.84 fatalities per 100,000 workers. Falls are a common accident in this industry, which can occur from using chairs instead of ladders, slipping on wet floors, or tripping over file drawers; while these accidents aren’t always severe, head injuries in extreme instances can cause them to be fatal.

Manufacturing is fifth on the list – the industry has an average salary of £35,000 and a fatality rate of 0.82 for every 100,000th worker. Crushing or loss of limbs can occur in this industry when using machinery, for example, if the machinery malfunctions, is mishandled, or the worker has not received adequate training.

Waste and recycling places sixth, with 0.78 fatalities for every 100,000th worker and an average salary of £22,000. Being struck by a moving vehicle, struck by flying or falling objects, and contact with moving machinery account for the most common fatal injuries within the waste and recycling industry.

Seventh in the ranking is wholesale and retail, which has an average salary of £35,000 and a fatality rate of 0.21 per 100,000 workers. Slips, trips, and falls are common accidents in this industry, as well as injuries from the malfunctioning or improper handling of forklifts and pallet jacks.

A spokesperson from Claims has commented: “The ranking of the most fatal industries is interesting when you consider that the average salary in several sectors in the ranking is lower than the average salary across the nation. Not to mention, the fatality rate in agriculture is significantly higher than the other industries.”

However, accidents can occur in every industry, whether non-fatal or fatal – so it’s crucial for employers to prioritise their workers’ safety. There are many ways to keep employees safe within the workplace, including regularly inspecting equipment and machinery, conducting risk assessments frequently, ensuring workers are adequately trained, and maintaining awareness of potential hazards.”

Did you know that over 80% of workplace accidents are wholly avoidable and are caused by lack of  proper safety assessment and poor planning.