A recent report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggests levels of work-related ill-health, injury and exposure to hazards could be much higher than earlier official estimates suggest. The report found over three quarters of all workers have workplace health and safety concerns. The Workplace Health and Safety Survey (WHASS) conducted between August and December last year surveyed 10,016 workers. The survey suggested a level of work-related ill-health more than double that estimated by the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and injuries requiring four or more days absence from work about 40 per cent higher. The HSE's new WHASS report says the 26 per cent response rate could have introduced 'response bias' leading to an over-estimate of the problem. However recent reports have suggested the LFS figures, which HSE uses as the benchmark for its occupational health estimates and strategy evaluation, is itself a massive under-estimation of the true risk. The WHASS survey of workers found just over a fifth of British workers (22 per cent) are concerned about work-related stress, the most prevalent problem. Less than a quarter (23 per cent) of those surveyed had no health and safety concerns.

TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson welcomed the report and said he would now be asking HSE to review its plans for tackling workplace ill-health. 'This report confirms what many people have said all along - occupational ill-health is a much bigger problem than HSE's earlier estimates have indicated,' he said. 'The result is that the response has not reflected the scale of the problem or met the needs of those affected. We must remember that all these illnesses are preventable and we hope the HSE will work with unions and employers to devise an urgent and effective preventive strategy.'

The survey shows also that there are still important shortcomings in the organisation of prevention at the workplace. Six in 10 workers had a health and safety officer appointed by their employer but only a one-quarter had a safety representative appointed by a union or someone other than their employer. 30% of the workers have no access to occupational health advice or treatment through their job. There is a strong association between poor health and safety climate and the presence of work-related injuries or ill health.

• The report

Source: TUC