While Amazon’s workplace accident record is horrific, statistics suggest that too many people are suffering from injury and illness, including mental illness, as a result of workplace practices across the UK.
In less than two months, the Health and Safety Executive levied 36 different fines related to dangerous or unsafe work environments — of which 26 had already led to serious injury, including several fatalities in separate incidents dating back several years.
According to inspectors, many of these accidents could be “easily” prevented.
HSE figures for the 2018-19 year report, across Great Britain as a whole,1.4 million working people suffering from a work-related illness, 147 workers killed on the job and an estimated 28.2 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury.
In addition, 581,000 working people sustained an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey, and 69,208 injuries to employees were reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) system.
The HSE also notes 2,526 mesothelioma deaths caused by past exposure to asbestos, based on figures from 2017, and an estimated overall financial cost attributed to injuries and ill health caused by current working conditions of £15 billion a year.
HSE notes that the true figures, however, are believed to be higher, with many work-related injuries and illnesses going unreported...