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The transportation and storage industry had a rate of fatal injury around twice the average across all industries, according to new figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The average rate of non-fatal injuries between 2012/13 and 2019/20 was 2.7% in road haulage; 2.9% in warehousing and 3.4% in post and courier work.

The average across all industries was 1.9%.

However, the HSE added: “The rate of non-fatal injury to employees reported by employers to RIDDOR shows a downward trend since 2004/05.”

In the transportation and storage sector as a whole – which, as well as road haulage, warehousing and courier jobs, also includes freight air transport, passenger and port-related activities - there were 11 fatal injuries in 2019/20, which the HSE said was broadly in line with the average of 14 in these sectors since 2015/16.

Over this five-year period, 35% of deaths were due to being struck by a moving vehicle; 22% were falls from height and 13% were struck by a moving or falling object.

The postal and courier sectors also have higher rates of ill health than the average rate across all industries, according to the figures.

Since 2012, 3.6% of workers in post and courier jobs had musculoskeletal disorders, stress, anxiety or depression, compared to an annual average of 3.2% across all industries.

The rate for road haulage was just 2.7% and in warehousing it was 3%.

Sarah Newton, HSE chair said: “The Covid pandemic has focussed attention on the health and safety issues people face in the workplace.

“Although Great Britain continues to be up there with the safest places in the world to work, these figures highlight the scale of the challenge HSE currently faces in making Britain an even healthier and safer place to work, this includes our role in the response to the pandemic to ensure workplaces are Covid secure.”

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