Latest Data: 2020
This page looks at injury incident and frequencies rates in development-led archaeology.
Highlights
Due to the nature of how RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) injury incident and frequency rates are calculated, it will take several years to for figures to average out to represent long-term trends, and so any analysis presented now would be speculative. Because of this, the only current highlight presented is to identify the most common type of non-RIDDOR injury, which has been consistent over two surveys and is from a larger sample.
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These data are gathered to understand the prevalence and types of injuries in development-led archaeology, excluding those providing advice to local planning authorities. Most of what is presented here has already been published in FAME’s Development-led Archaeology Health and Safety Injury Survey 2019-20.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
RIDDOR is the legal instrument that requires employers, and those in charge of work premises, to report and keep records of:
- work-related accidents which cause deaths
- work-related accidents which cause certain serious injuries (reportable injuries)
- diagnosed cases of certain industrial diseases; and
- certain ‘dangerous occurrences’ (incidents with the potential to cause harm)
Two metrics are discussed here:
- Injury Frequency Rate – the number of RIDDOR reportable injuries employees are likely to have for every 1,000,000 hours worked;
- Incident Rate – the number of injuries per 100,000 employees,
A detailed breakdown of the methods used to estimate these metrics are discussed on this page – 1.6.1 Methods of collecting and calculating injury results.
Respondents were asked about their RIDDOR reportable injuries and the responses were:
Table 1.6.1: Reported types of RIDDOR injuries for 2018-2020
| Type | 2018/19 | 2019/20 |
|---|---|---|
| Specified injuries (including fatality) | 4 | 1 |
| Injuries resulting in over 7 days absence | 3 | 2 |
| Occupational diseases (including carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and occupational dermatitis) | 0 | 0 |
| Occupational disease caused by exposure to carcinogens, mutagens & biological agents (including occupational cancers) | 0 | 0 |
| Specified dangerous occurrences | 0 | 1 |
| Total (n=) | 7 | 4 |
| Staff represented by respondents FTE | 1171 | 2386 |
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In order to provide data on the incidence of commonly occurring accidents/incidents across the sector, respondents were asked to report the number of non-RIDDOR reportable accident book entries by categories. A total of 292 non-RIDDOR accidents and near misses were recorded by the respondents in 2019-20.
Table 1.6.2: Non-RIDDOR accidents and near misses for 2018-2020
| Type | 2018/19 | 2019/20 |
|---|---|---|
| Total number of non-reportable accidents | 147 | 159 |
| Total number of near misses reported | 140 | 133 |
| Total (n=) | 287 | 292 |
| Staff represented by respondents FTE | 1171 | 2386 |
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Respondents also provided more detailed breakdowns of the types of non-RIDDOR accidents, though this was not done consistently in the predecessor survey in 2018-19.
Table 1.6.3: Types of non-RIDDOR accidents and near misses for 2018-2020.
| Type | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | Non-reportable | Near misses | |
| Ergonomic / manual handling | 23 | 78 | 8 |
| Slip, trip or fall | 9 | 6 | 13 |
| Contact with or knocking into object | 7 | 34 | 14 |
| Vehicle accident (travelling on work business, including to or from site) | 3 | 10 | 49 |
| Other | 18 | 31 | 49 |
| Total (n=) | 60 | 159 | 133 |
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The RIDDOR injury Frequency and & Incident rates were calculated for archaeology, see the page – 1.6.1 Methods of collecting and calculating injury results:
Table 1.6.4: Injury Frequency & Incident rates for archaeology from 2018-20.
| RIDDOR | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | average 2018-20 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injury frequency rate | Incident rate | Injury frequency rate | Incident rate | Injury frequency rate | Incident rate | |
| Specified injuries (including fatality) | 2.01 | 342 | 0.16 | 31.83 | 1.11 | 191.96 |
| Injuries resulting in over 7 days absence | 1.51 | 256 | 0.33 | 63.65 | 0.97 | 169.91 |
| Specified dangerous occurrences | – | – | 0.16 | 31.83 | – | – |
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Archaeology Compared to Other Sectors
Because of how rates are calculated, tiny changes in reported accidents can greatly alter the results. Two archaeologists carrying a bulky piece of equipment who trip and hurt themselves seriously can easily change the rate for the whole sector, significantly. The 2018-19 data showed archaeology had very high rates, while the 2019-20 data showed very low rates for archaeology. It will take several years of averaging to be able to accurately estimate the rates for archaeology. We are likely to still be a few years away from being able to accurately compare archaeology to other sectors.
Table 1.6.5: Injury Frequency & Incident rates for archaeology compared to other sectors from 2018-20.
| Industry | SIC 2007 | 2019/20 | 2018/19 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Hours Worked | Incident rate | Frequency rate | Avg Hours Worked | Incident rate | Frequency rate | ||||||
| Specified | Over-7-day | Specified | Over-7-day | Specified | Over-7-day | Specified | Over-7-day | ||||
| Archaeology | 32 | 64 | 0.16 | 0.33 | 256 | 2.01 | 1.51 | ||||
| Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities | 1 | 37.0 | 229 | 270 | 1.19 | 1.40 | 36.7 | 192 | 36.7 | 0.35 | 1.01 |
| Forestry and logging | 2 | 33.9 | 143 | 286 | 0.81 | 1.62 | 36.3 | 307 | 36.3 | 1.12 | 1.63 |
| Fishing and aquaculture | 3 | 38.0 | * | * | 37.6 | 288 | 37.6 | 1.07 | 1.47 | ||
| Mining of coal and lignite | 5 | 41.4 | * | * | 49.2 | 379 | 49.2 | 0.83 | 1.48 | ||
| Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas | 6 | 36.6 | 202 | 607 | 1.06 | 3.19 | 36.4 | * | 36.4 | ||
| Other mining and quarrying | 8 | 40.9 | 79 | 173 | 0.37 | 0.81 | 43.7 | * | 43.7 | ||
| Mining support service activities | 9 | 40.8 | 4 | 8 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 38.9 | 721 | 38.9 | 1.21 | 3.56 |
| Manufacture of food products | 10 | 39.2 | 202 | 828 | 0.99 | 4.06 | 39.3 | 39.3 | |||
| Manufacture of beverages | 11 | 36.6 | 73 | 325 | 0.38 | 1.71 | 38.3 | 235 | 38.3 | 0.76 | 1.18 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 13 | 36.4 | 108 | 362 | 0.57 | 1.91 | 37.9 | 365 | 37.9 | 0.54 | 1.85 |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel | 14 | 30.0 | 16 | 59 | 0.10 | 0.38 | 33.1 | 827 | 33.1 | 1.21 | 4.80 |
| Manufacture of leather and related products | 15 | 37.2 | * | * | 36.7 | 325 | 36.7 | 0.61 | 1.70 | ||
| Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials | 16 | 37.5 | 210 | 769 | 1.08 | 3.94 | 39.8 | * | 39.8 | ||
| Manufacture of paper and paper products | 17 | 39.7 | 156 | 413 | 0.76 | 2.00 | 38.6 | 568 | 38.6 | 0.81 | 2.83 |
| Printing and reproduction of recorded media | 18 | 35.9 | 55 | 205 | 0.29 | 1.10 | 36.9 | 24 | 36.9 | 0.08 | 0.13 |
| Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products | 19 | 38.9 | 17 | 47 | 0.08 | 0.23 | 37.4 | * | 37.4 | ||
| Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products | 20 | 37.9 | 44 | 137 | 0.22 | 0.70 | 38.1 | 727 | 38.1 | 1.16 | 3.67 |
| Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations | 21 | 37.8 | 31 | 77 | 0.16 | 0.39 | 37.6 | 409 | 37.6 | 0.73 | 2.09 |
| Manufacture of rubber and plastic products | 22 | 38.1 | 99 | 322 | 0.50 | 1.63 | 39.8 | 214 | 39.8 | 0.27 | 1.03 |
| Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products | 23 | 38.9 | 135 | 380 | 0.67 | 1.88 | 40.5 | 42 | 40.5 | 0.12 | 0.20 |
| Manufacture of basic metals | 24 | 39.7 | 215 | 661 | 1.04 | 3.20 | 40.0 | 166 | 40 | 0.21 | 0.80 |
| Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment | 25 | 38.7 | 101 | 348 | 0.50 | 1.73 | 40.0 | 93 | 40 | 0.12 | 0.45 |
| Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products | 26 | 37.2 | 13 | 34 | 0.07 | 0.18 | 37.7 | 375 | 37.7 | 0.48 | 1.91 |
| Manufacture of electrical equipment | 27 | 39.5 | 42 | 102 | 0.20 | 0.50 | 38.4 | 429 | 38.4 | 0.79 | 2.15 |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 28 | 38.1 | 48 | 118 | 0.24 | 0.60 | 39.6 | 678 | 39.6 | 1.04 | 3.29 |
| Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers | 29 | 37.8 | 70 | 199 | 0.36 | 1.01 | 39.6 | 381 | 39.6 | 0.63 | 1.85 |
| Manufacture of other transport equipment | 30 | 37.6 | 28 | 136 | 0.14 | 0.70 | 38.9 | 34 | 38.9 | 0.02 | 0.17 |
| Manufacture of furniture | 31 | 36.0 | 100 | 335 | 0.53 | 1.79 | 39.4 | 126 | 39.4 | 0.21 | 0.61 |
| Other manufacturing | 32 | 36.4 | 388 | 1250 | 2.05 | 6.60 | 36.1 | 151 | 36.1 | 0.26 | 0.80 |
| Repair and installation of machinery and equipment | 33 | 38.4 | 82 | 190 | 0.41 | 0.95 | 40.1 | 204 | 40.1 | 0.30 | 0.98 |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 35 | 37.4 | 54 | 142 | 0.28 | 0.73 | 37.5 | 138 | 37.5 | 0.25 | 0.71 |
| Water collection, treatment and supply; Sewerage | 36,37 | 40.8 | 86 | 199 | 0.41 | 0.94 | 36.7 | 503 | 1.16 | 3.67 | |
| Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery | 38 | 40.6 | 396 | 1154 | 1.88 | 5.47 | 42.0 | 1627 | 42 | 2.15 | 7.45 |
| Remediation activities and other waste management services. | 39 | 37.8 | 36 | 157 | 0.18 | 0.80 | 35.0 | 202 | 35 | 0.41 | 1.11 |
| Construction of buildings; Specialised construction activities | 41,43 | 36.6 | 137 | 233 | 0.72 | 1.22 | 38.2 | 116 | 38.2 | 0.25 | 0.58 |
| Civil engineering | 42 | 39.6 | 65 | 121 | 0.32 | 0.59 | 41.0 | 116 | 41 | 0.23 | 0.54 |
| Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 45 | 37.4 | 63 | 149 | 0.32 | 0.77 | 39.0 | 714 | 39 | 1.25 | 3.52 |
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 46 | 36.8 | 41 | 108 | 0.21 | 0.56 | 37.6 | 233 | 37.6 | 0.55 | 1.19 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 47 | 28.3 | 47 | 142 | 0.32 | 0.96 | 28.7 | 1200 | 28.7 | 2.69 | 8.04 |
| Land transport and transport via pipelines | 49 | 39.0 | 82 | 284 | 0.40 | 1.40 | 41.0 | 93 | 41 | 0.31 | 0.44 |
| Water transport | 50 | 35.3 | 88 | 226 | 0.48 | 1.23 | 36.2 | 241 | 36.2 | 0.68 | 1.28 |
| Air transport | 51 | 37.3 | 120 | 603 | 0.62 | 3.11 | 36.8 | 273 | 36.8 | 0.76 | 1.43 |
| Warehousing and support activities for transportation | 52 | 38.3 | 293 | 1031 | 1.47 | 5.18 | 39.2 | 125 | 39.2 | 0.32 | 0.61 |
| Postal and courier activities | 53 | 37.3 | 132 | 360 | 0.68 | 1.86 | 37.8 | 173 | 37.8 | 0.27 | 0.88 |
| Accommodation | 55 | 28.8 | 107 | 350 | 0.71 | 2.34 | 31.3 | 153 | 31.3 | 0.30 | 0.94 |
| Food and beverage service activities | 56 | 23.2 | 48 | 168 | 0.40 | 1.39 | 27.1 | 157 | 27.1 | 0.51 | 1.11 |
| Publishing activities | 58 | 33.3 | 3 | 5 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 34.0 | 156 | 34 | 0.31 | 0.88 |
| Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities | 59 | 35.1 | 18 | 47 | 0.10 | 0.26 | 32.9 | 151 | 32.9 | 0.26 | 0.88 |
| Programming and broadcasting activities | 60 | 34.5 | 12 | 85 | 0.07 | 0.47 | 36.7 | 219 | 36.7 | 0.31 | 1.15 |
| Telecommunications | 61 | 37.7 | 47 | 103 | 0.24 | 0.53 | 37.7 | 351 | 37.7 | 0.59 | 1.79 |
| Computer programming, consultancy and related activities | 62 | 35.7 | 1 | 3 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 36.0 | 187 | 36 | 0.25 | 1.00 |
| Information service activities | 63 | 38.2 | 48 | 108 | 0.24 | 0.54 | 38.1 | 606 | 38.1 | 0.86 | 3.06 |
| Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding | 64 | 34.2 | 11 | 25 | 0.06 | 0.14 | 34.4 | 332 | 34.4 | 0.53 | 1.86 |
| Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding, except compulsory social security | 65 | 34.6 | 9 | 8 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 34.7 | 289 | 34.7 | 0.34 | 1.60 |
| Activities auxiliary to financial services and insurance activities | 66 | 34.5 | 1 | 1 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 34.9 | 782 | 34.9 | 0.94 | 4.31 |
| Real estate activities | 68 | 33.2 | 15 | 28 | 0.09 | 0.16 | 33.8 | 1111 | 33.8 | 1.74 | 6.32 |
| Legal and accounting activities | 69 | 32.5 | 6 | 6 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 32.5 | 398 | 32.5 | 0.79 | 2.36 |
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 70 | 33.5 | 6 | 4 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 34.6 | 57 | 34.6 | 0.13 | 0.32 |
| Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis | 71 | 35.5 | 1 | 2 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 36.4 | 29 | 36.4 | 0.07 | 0.15 |
| Scientific research and development | 72 | 35.5 | 7 | 19 | 0.04 | 0.10 | 35.7 | 7 | 35.7 | 0.02 | 0.04 |
| Advertising and market research | 73 | 34.0 | 5 | 11 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 34.1 | 30 | 34.1 | 0.20 | 0.17 |
| Other professional, scientific and technical activities | 74 | 32.3 | 12 | 17 | 0.07 | 0.10 | 32.3 | 90 | 32.3 | 0.12 | 0.54 |
| Veterinary activities | 75 | 31.8 | 63 | 134 | 0.38 | 0.81 | 33.1 | 115 | 33.1 | 0.25 | 0.67 |
| Rental and leasing activities | 77 | 38.2 | 61 | 105 | 0.31 | 0.53 | 40.1 | 2 | 40.1 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Employment activities | 78 | 27.6 | 4 | 5 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 31.4 | 73 | 31.4 | 0.36 | 0.45 |
| Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities | 79 | 34.5 | 11 | 5 | 0.06 | 0.03 | 35.1 | 12 | 35.1 | 0.04 | 0.07 |
| Security and investigation activities | 80 | 39.9 | 64 | 195 | 0.31 | 0.94 | 36.2 | 23 | 36.2 | 0.07 | 0.12 |
| Services to buildings and landscape activities | 81 | 29.2 | 122 | 375 | 0.80 | 2.47 | 29.4 | 7 | 29.4 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 82 | 32.2 | 89 | 115 | 0.53 | 0.69 | 33.6 | 1 | 33.6 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 84 | 34.9 | 51 | 148 | 0.28 | 0.82 | 34.6 | 30 | 34.6 | 0.07 | 0.17 |
| Education | 85 | 28.5 | 52 | 89 | 0.35 | 0.60 | 28.5 | 30 | 28.5 | 0.08 | 0.20 |
| Human health activities | 86 | 32.1 | 59 | 291 | 0.35 | 1.74 | 32.1 | 14 | 32.1 | 0.05 | 0.08 |
| Residential care activities | 87 | 33.7 | 94 | 238 | 0.54 | 1.36 | 33.0 | 5 | 33 | 0.04 | 0.03 |
| Social work activities without accommodation | 88 | 29.8 | 43 | 96 | 0.28 | 0.62 | 29.7 | 8 | 29.7 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| Creative, arts and entertainment activities | 90 | 29.9 | 90 | 140 | 0.58 | 0.90 | 29.9 | 2 | 29.9 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities | 91 | 30.4 | 47 | 78 | 0.30 | 0.49 | 31.4 | 24 | 31.4 | 0.08 | 0.15 |
| Gambling and betting activities | 92 | 33.4 | 19 | 60 | 0.11 | 0.35 | 33.9 | 7 | 33.9 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities | 93 | 24.3 | 74 | 116 | 0.59 | 0.92 | 24.5 | 25 | 24.5 | 0.09 | 0.20 |
| Activities of membership organisations | 94 | 28.2 | 19 | 30 | 0.13 | 0.20 | 28.4 | 140 | 28.4 | 0.28 | 0.95 |
| Repair of computers and personal and household goods | 95 | 37.0 | 16 | 90 | 0.08 | 0.47 | 35.7 | 193 | 35.7 | 0.39 | 1.04 |
| Other personal service activities | 96 | 30.5 | 64 | 144 | 0.40 | 0.91 | 30.4 | 93 | 30.4 | 0.38 | 0.59 |
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Image Credit
Crossrail archaeology dig by Matt Brown. From Flickr. CC BY 2.0
Version control and change log
As a digital document we may update parts of this page in the future to account for corrections or the need for clarification. Please use the version when citing:
Version: 1.0
Change log: no changes
CREDITS
Title: Profiling the Profession
2020 Authors: Kenneth Aitchison, Poppy German and Doug Rocks-Macqueen
Published by: Landward Research Ltd
Version Date: 2021
ISBN: 978-0-9572452-8-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14333387
License: CC BY SA 4.0 for all text and figures. Header images are from different sources check image credits for their specific licensing.
2020 funders: Historic England, with support from Historic Environment Scotland, CIfA and FAME.
Questions about Profiling the Profession: enquiries@landward.eu