GMB says up to 50,000 work-related deaths may go unreported each year
Official RIDDOR figures 'just the tip of the iceberg' says union.
Up to 50,000 work-related deaths may go unreported each year, according to GMB estimates.
Official RIDDOR figures - recorded for the Health and Safety Executive - look to be lower than last year’s total of 144.
However this good news is tempered by the fact UK workers are moving away from industries like construction and agriculture, where deaths are easily recorded into RIDDOR categories, into service industries.
In addition, the figures do not include occupational disease -primarily lung disease and heart disease; workers killed in road traffic accidents; workers killed at sea; and work-related suicides.
GMB estimates between 20,000 and 50,000 workers or ex-workers are killed in these ways each year.
GMB is participating in a series of events across the country tomorrow (April 28, 2017) in honour of International Workers’ Memorial Day.
Dan Shears, GMB National Officer for Health and Safety, said:
"Official work-related deaths look like they will be down for 2016/17 - and clearly that's good news.
"But it does not tell the whole story.
"UK workers are moving away from industries like construction and agriculture, where deaths are easily recorded into RIDDOR categories, into service industries.
"These figures do not include occupational disease -primarily lung disease and heart disease; workers killed in road traffic accidents; workers killed at sea; and work-related suicides.
"GMB estimates up to 50,000 workers or ex-workers are killed in these ways each year.
"As you can see the official figures are the tip of the iceberg.
“International Workers’ Memorial Day is a day when workers around the world stop to remember those workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work.
“It is a day to remember the dead and to fight like hell for the living.”
