Work-related harm remains one of the most under-estimated risks globally
This gap between people’s perceptions of risk and their experience of risk while at work highlights a safety challenge, as people may underestimate the possibility of being injured in the workplace.
This trend was primarily driven by the Northern/Western Europe (12% experienced, 6% worried) and Southern Europe (20% experienced, 6% worried) regions. However, countries as diverse as Italy, Switzerland, Afghanistan, and Vietnam stood out as places where the percentage of workers who had personally experienced work-related harm in the past two years was particularly high relative to their level of worry about work-related risks.
Italy is the most pronounced national example of this trend, with more than a third (36%) saying they have experienced harm from work – and a further 18% knowing someone who has – but only 16% saying they are very worried about it.
Financially vulnerable workers were most likely to report work-related harms
Experience of work-related harm was most common among low-income workers, who are more likely to have jobs involving physical labour, such as agricultural work, or in manufacturing settings, where hazards are more common. In 2021, a quarter (25%) of workers worldwide who said they were finding it ‘very difficult’ to get by on their current income had personally experienced serious workplace harm in the past two years, compared with 9% of those who reported they were ‘living comfortably’ on their current income and 10% who were ‘getting by.’
More than a third of people said they were very worried about work-related harm in Central/Western Africa (37%) and Southern Africa (34%), closely followed by South Asia (32%) and Eastern Africa (30%).
Globally, experience of work-related harm is higher than worry about such harm.
24% of people said they had experienced or knew someone who had experienced serious harm from their work. However, only 19% said they were very worried about such harm.
The World Risk Poll highlights clear gaps between perception and experience of work-related harm. Understanding these gaps can help policymakers and businesses address these commonly experienced but under-estimated risks, informing effective interventions and communications.
Dr Sarah Cumbers
Director of Evidence and Insight, Lloyd’s Register FoundationÂ
Where do people most worry about and experience serious work-related harm?
Have you, or someone you personally know, experienced serious harm from work in the past two years?
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