Employers liability insurance holders saw a drop in health and safety incidents last year, according to new figures.
Between April 2008 and March 2009, England, Scotland and Wales lost 29.3 million working days to injury and work-related illness, a reduction on the 33.9 million seen in the same period a year earlier.
Across the three countries workplace fatalities dropped to a record low of 180, from 233 in the 2007-08 period.
Judith Hackitt, chair of Health and Safety Executive, which released the figures, told employers liability insurance customers: "In spite of the encouraging overall statistics today let's not forget that they tell us a story of individuals and families who have suffered. This underlines the real risks that people face in work every day."
The figures continue a trend seen since 2000, when workplace injuries have fallen each year, leading to businesses losing 1.6 million fewer working days to injury.
Last year major injuries at work fell by around nine per cent compared to the start of the decade, with workplace deaths dropping by five per cent, giving the UK one of the lowest rates in Europe.