128 Workplace Accidents at West Yorkshire Fire Service – What The Figures Reveal?

According to the Annual Accident Analysis Report published by West Yorkshire Fire Authority on 2 October, 128 workplace accidents occurred between April 2025 and March 2026. Although this represented a 6% increase on the previous year, the number of accidents remains significantly lower than the 305 recorded in 2005/06.

The report identified the top 5 causes of accidents as follows: 

• 1. musculoskeletal disorders
• 2. slips, trips, and falls 
• 3. contact with objects or surfaces 
• 4. being struck by or against objects 
• 5. exposure to hazardous substances or environments

Musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 30 cases, year-on-year. More than half of these incidents occurred during routine duties and training rather than operational deployments.

Slips, trips and falls accounted for 27 cases, just one more than the previous year. The unusually hot, dry summer contributed to a concentration of incidents at wildfire sites and other outdoor locations, where firefighters had to navigate rough moorland terrain. 

Some have also shown a marked decline. Incidents involving being struck by or against objects fell by 27% (9 cases) year-on-year. Notably, injuries caused by equipment falling from lockers dropped from eight cases last year to just one following improvements to the stowage design.

Despite slight increase in the latest figures, the fire authority emphasised the positive long-term trend, with overall incidents down 58% compared with 20 years ago. It’s also encouraging that identifying the causes and promptly addressing easily resolvable issues has led to a reduction in the actual accident rate.

Yet, some aspects could not be fully captured by the figures alone. The report noted that serious incidents had increased steadily over the past four years and said it would submit a report to the Service Operational Team (SOT) to examine the issue.

Words by Jooyeon Lee