Industries with Most Danger to the Public

Some industries like construction and farming are known to be dangerous to work in, but which industries are the most dangerous not to workers, but to members of the public? We've run stats from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to find out.

Business-Related Fatalities to Members of the Public

For the year ending March 2020, 92 members of the public were killed in an accident related to industry or a business. The number of workplace fatalities to member of the public has shown a decline in recent year, a 28% drop from 127 fatalities in the year ending March 2015.

It's possible that the figures for 2020 are slightly low due to COVID-19. For starters, members of the public had less exposure to industry because people were home during lockdowns for much of the year.

Also, COVID-19 might have affected the reporting of figures. While the lockdown began 23 March 2020 so barely overlaps with the reporting period, the lockdown could have interfered with administrative data collection while businesses or organisations were focused elsewhere. For example, routine data collection returns from local authorities were largely suspended. As a result, the figures for 2019/20 could be revised up in the future.

Industries Most Dangerous to the Public

The most dangerous industries in terms of fatalities to members of the public are land transportation and human health activities. These categories were responsible for 75 out of the 92 reported public fatalities in 2019/20 —that's 82% of the total.

To protect a business against lawsuits in event of injury to a member of the public due to business activities, including death, a company can buy public liability insurance. Protection needs to be purchased before an incident occurs. Public liability insurance covers differs from employers' liability insurance, which covers work-related employee injury or illness.

Below we explain the types of activities performed in each of these categories.

Transportation and Storage

This category includes passenger or freight transport by rail, pipeline, road, water or air—both scheduled and unscheduled. Associated activities are also included, such as terminal and parking facilities, cargo handling, storage, renting of transport equipment with driver or operator, postal and courier activities, etc.

Land transport and transport via pipelines

This subcategory includes the transport of passengers and freight via road and rail, plus freight transport via pipelines.

Air transport

This subcategory includes the transport of passengers or freight by air or space.

Human Health and Social Work Activities

This category includes health and social work activities, from health care provided by trained medical professionals in hospitals to residential care that includes some health care activities to social work activities not provided by health care professionals.

Human health activities

This subcategory includes activities of hospitals with accommodation facilities and the provision of diagnostic and medical treatment to inpatients with a wide variety of medical conditions. It includes:

Residential care activities

This subcategory includes residential care combined with either nursing, supervisory or other types of care as needed by the residents. The care provided is a mix of health and social services. Residential nursing care activities include:

Residential care activities for learning disabilities, mental health and substance abuse include:

Residential care activities for the elderly and disabled include:

Social work activities without accommodation

This subcategory includes a variety of social assistance services, but excluding services including accommodation, except on a temporary basis.

Public administration and defence; compulsory social security

This category covers the administration of State economic and social policy with regards to social and economic life of the community as a whole, including general administration and supervision in the field. Foreign affairs, defence and public order and safety activities are included.

Compulsory social security activities include:

Construction of buildings

This division includes general construction of buildings, such as new work, repair, additions and alterations, pre-fabricated building erection and temporary construction; entire dwellings, office buildings, stores and other public and utility buildings, farm buildings, etc.

Education

This section includes education of any and all levels, in a public or private institution, for any profession, in oral or written format, including provision by radio, television, Internet or via correspondence. In addition to the regular school system, adult education, literacy programmes, military schools and academies, prison schools etc. are included.

Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery

This division includes the collection, treatment, and disposal of waste materials, including local hauling and materials recovery facilities (e.g., sorting recyclables from waste).

Services to buildings and landscape activities

This section includes general support services, such as services within a client’s facilities, cleaning of buildings inside and out, cleaning of industrial machinery, cleaning of trains, buses, planes, etc., cleaning of the inside of road and sea tankers, disinfecting and exterminating activities for buildings, ships, trains, etc., bottle cleaning, street sweeping, snow and ice removal, landscape care and maintenance, etc.

Arts, entertainment and recreation

This section includes a range of activities related to cultural, entertainment and recreational interests of the general public, such as live performances, museums, gambling, sports and recreation activities,

Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities

This subsection includes two basic activities—the production of crops and animal products, including organic agriculture, genetically modified crops and genetically modified animals; crops grown in open fields and in greenhouses. Hunting, trapping and related activities are included.

Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply

This section includes the provision of electric power, natural gas, steam, air conditioning, hot water, etc. through a network of lines, mains and pipes; included are the distribution of electricity, gas, steam, hot water, etc. in industrial parks or residential buildings.