The number of workers in Great Britain suffering harm caused by their jobs has risen sharply, latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics have confirmed.

The figures, just published by the safety watchdog, show that in 2015/16 1.3 million workers had a health problem related to their job, up from 1.2 million. Provisional HSE figures released in July showed fatalities also increased in 2015/16, up to 144 from 142 the previous year.

HSE also reports that the ‘total costs’ bill for work-related injuries and work-related ill-health has not fallen in five years.

The HSE costs breakdown shows that nearly 57 per cent of the cost of workplace injuries and new cases of work-related ill-health is borne by the individuals affected, compared to less than 20 per cent falling on employers, who also pay significantly less than the public purse.

TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson commented: “It is clear that ill-health caused by work is no longer falling, but appears to be getting worse. The HSE needs to urgently address this. The figures also reinforce what the TUC has always said, which is that the real cost of employers’ disregard for health and safety falls on the individual workers. This has become even worse since the government made it harder for workers injured or made ill due to their employers’ negligence to claim compensation.”