Fewer injuries at work - but more illness

New figures released Monday by the Health & Safety Commission to coincide with the start of H&S Week show that ill health associated with work has risen by over 120%. At the same time, workplace injuries are down by 19%.

Over 24M working days are lost each year, says the HSC, with over 1M people staying home as a result of injury and even more because of work-related illness.

The estimated cost in lost production plus sick pay and benefits is between £14bn and £18bn.

"The figures convince me that there is a big agenda that has to be addressed," says chairman Bill Callaghan. "We have to raise the profile of health and safety at work."

One piece of profile-raising news comes from Wales where a former call centre manager is suing British Gas for £100,000 in compensation, saying the company had failed to see how stressful her job had become.

Angela Dixon says that rapid changes at British Gas left her working 12-14 hour days and under pressure to return to work following maternity leave. Two years ago, following six months of sick leave, her employment was terminated.

British Gas declined to comment on the current legal action.

Elliott Chase