Fatalities In The Workplace

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) fatalities in the workplace provisional statistics for 2012-13 say that the number of workers fatally injured at work fell in the year 2012-13 to 148. The figure of 148 is 18% lower than the average for the last five years and gives a fatal injury ratio of 0.5 deaths per 100,000 workers, down from the 5-year average of 0.6 per 100,000. The summary also tells us that 113 members of the public were also fatally injured in accidents related to work. The figure excludes 310 related to railways (including suicide and trespass).

The main industry sectors in terms of fatalities breakdown as follows: agriculture 29; mining and quarrying 2; manufacturing 20; gas, electricity and water 12; construction 39 and services 46. When applying a ration of fatal injuries per 100,000 workers the statistics are as follows: agriculture 8.8; manufacturing 0.7; gas electricity and water 8.2; construction 1.9; and services 0.2, and all industries 0.5.

When fatal injuries suffered by members of the public are included the total figure for all industries rises to 571. There were 7 fatalities among members of the public in agriculture, 1 in manufacturing 4 in gas, electricity and water, 3 of which were in waste and recycling, 5 in construction and 406 in services.

Regional comparison of number and rate of fatal injuries of the 148 shows that the North East recorded 2 fatalities in 2012-13 and a 5 year average of 6. The South East reported 22 fatalities and a 5 year average of 16. Scotland also reported a total of 22 and a 5 year average of 22. It should be noted that there are strong regional differences in industry and occupation variables.

Business Start-Ups Up In 2011

The number of business start-ups increased by 11.2% between 2010 and 2011 according to a recent statistical bulletin on business demography from the ONS. The increase of 26,000 brought the total number of business births to 261,000. The number of businesses that ceased trading fell by 20,000 to 230,000 or 7.9% during the same period.

Regionally, the highest number of start-ups was seen in London with a start-up rate of 14.6% or 61,000. The North East with 11.2% and the North West with 11.1% also figured among the regions at the top of the table. The highest rate for businesses ceasing to trade was in the North West with 10.7% or 25,000, then London with 10.4%.

The information and communication category saw the highest rate of increase in start-ups with an increase of 14.8% followed by professional, scientific and technical with 14.3% and business administration and support services with 14.1%. Business administration and support services also saw the biggest numbers cease trading with a rate of 11.9% follwed by finance and insurance at 11.5%. The highest numbers were in professional, scientific and technical with 39,000, construction at 35,000 and business administration and support services with 25,000.

The UK 5-year survival rate for businesses starting in 2006 to 2011 was 45%. The highest 5-year survival rate was seen in N.Ireland with 50.5%, the lowest was in London with 41.8%. The industry group with the highest survival rate was health with 60% and education with 52.8%. Hotels and catering was lowest with 35.7% lasting 5 years.

Health And Education Businesses Surviving Well

Business demographics for 2009 show that there were 236,000 business births, a rate of 10.1% and 279,000 business deaths, a rate of 11.9%. There were 2.3m active businesses in the UK during 2009, up 16,000 on 2008. The highest birth rate was in business administration and support services with 13.9%, the lowest was production with 7.3%. The highest death rate was also in business administration and support services with 14.8% and the lowest was in health with 7.2%. The median birth rate was property with 9.1% and death rate professional, scientific and technical with 11.2%. London had both the highest birth and death rates with 12.6% and 13.7% respectively. Outside of London, the highest birth rate was in the North East with 10.4% and the highest death rate was in the North West with 12.8%. The five year survival rate from 2004 was 46.8%. N.Ireland had the highest five year survival rate with 52.9% the lowest was London with 41.9%. Health had a five year survival rate of 58.9% and education 58.1%. Hotels and catering was lowest with a 35.2% five year survival rate.

New Business Demography Figures For 2008

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has begun publishing details of business start-ups, closures and survival rates called 'Business Demography:Enterprise Births and Deaths'. The BERR is discontinuing the series, 'Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT registrations and de-registrations'. The last publication will be the 2008 update after that it will be replaced with the new ONS series. The new business demography statistics are considered more comprehensive. There are methodological differences.

The European Commission brought out a new regulation in February that requires National Statistics Institutes to produce statistics on business births, deaths and survival rates. They will produce statistics using a common methodology and definitions which will ensure greater comparability across the EU. One of the main differences is the inclusion of PAYE registered units, that is, employing businesses which are not VAT registered. It will provide a more comprehensive view of business start-up activity.

The new business demography statistics will show more business births and deaths than the BERR VAT-based statistics. The broad trend of volume and rate of births and deaths are the same but the peaks appear slightly earlier in the BERR series. Both ONS and BERR sets of statistics show differences between volumes and rates, but in both, the highest rates of births and deaths seem to be in London and lowest in Northern Ireland.

The statistics for 2008 published on Monday tell us that there were 270,000 business births in the UK in 2008, a birth rate of 11.6%. In 2007, there were 281,000 births (12.3%). That means there was a decrease of 3.7% in the number of business births. There were 'provisionally' 219,000 business seaths, a rate of 9.4% in 2008 compared with 223,000 deaths in 2007, a rate of 9.8%. There was a 1.8% decrease in the number of business deaths.

Active businesses numbered over 2.3 million in the UK during 2008, down 46,000 on 2007. The highest rate of business births was in business administration and support services with 16.2% followed by professional, scientific and technical services at 14.7% and information and communication at 14.6%. The highest overall number of business births was in professional, scientific and technical with 54,000. The highest death rate was in accomodation and food services at 13.1%, following this came finance and insurance at 11% and business administration and supprt services at 10.8%. Construction had the largest overall number of deaths at 33,000 then profesional, scientific and technical with over 32,000.

The business survival rate is based on a five-year survival rate. In 2008, the 5=year survival rate was 46.6%. Northern Ireland had the largest 5-year survival rate in the UK and London the lowest at 39.4%. Hea;lth had a survival rate of 63% and education 60.3% but hotels and catering were lowest with 34.2%.

Further details on the methodology can be obtained from the ONS website.