Which are the most dangerous jobs?

How many times have you heard someone use the phrase 'health and safety gone mad' when talking about their job?

But the sad fact is that the workplace can still be a dangerous place, with nearly a quarter of Brits saying they've injured themselves in the course of their work.

And, according to new figures from leading price comparison website Confused.com, more than a third of these people say their injury required medical attention - and 8% say they needed surgery. More than one in 20 say their injury was life-changing.

The most common incident involves people cutting themselves, reported by 44% of workers, while 22% say they have sprained a joint while in work. Other injuries include people burning themselves, at 14%, with 11% breaking a bone.

"The working world is a dangerous place for many Brits and it's worrying to see so many people suffering injuries in the workplace," says Jessica Willock, head of life insurance at Confused.com.

"What's even more worrying is just how many people have died over the past seven years while carrying out their job. This goes to show how unpredictable life can be – and with nearly half (47%) saying they are the main financial earner in their household, families could be left struggling should the worst happen."

When it comes to the causes of these injuries, it seems we're a clumsy lot. More than one in 10 say they tripped over equipment, with a similar proportion admitting to walking into something or injuring themselves on machinery.

More exotic injuries include being run over by a forklift truck, stapling one's own thumb and being assaulted by an offender during an arrest.

And the most dangerous workplace might come as a surprise: it's the hair and beauty business, where half of workers say they've injured themselves at one time or another. The figure's almost as high - 47% for trades such as electrician or plumber.

Those working in law enforcement are the third most likely to have hurt themselves in the workplace, with 46% reporting an injury.

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As Willock says, "There are many industries out there where you may expect injury to be commonplace, but the fact that so many people were injured working in hair and beauty shows that injuries can occur in any working environment."

These injuries tend to be at the minor end of the scale. However, more than one in 10 Brits say they have heard of someone who has died whilst doing their job. Indeed, since 2008, according to HSE data, 1,025 people have died while carrying out their job, an average of 140 people a year.

The most lethal profession is construction, accounting for more than three in every ten deaths, followed by the services industry with 23% and agriculture with 21%.

These jobs are more dangerous than being a firefighter or working in the Armed Forces.

Four in ten Brits who have injured themselves at work say they were left unable to work as a result. Of these, 4% said they were off work for 28 weeks or more – the time limit for statutory sick pay.

So what should you do if you're injured at work?

All employers are required to keep an accident book and record every injury, however small. Anything serious enough to keep you off work for three days should be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

You'll get statutory sick pay, and many employers will offer extra through a supplementary sick pay scheme. You may also be entitled to compensation, so long as the accident was at least partly your employer's fault (or a co-worker's), and not entirely your own.

All employers are required by law to have insurance covering a possible injury claim, and are required to give you the insurer's contact details.

If you belong to a trade union, they may be able to help with the process; otherwise, you'll need to speak to a specialist personal injury lawyer. Some of these will work on a 'no win, no fee' basis - although this will usually cost more in the long run.

If you do decide to start legal proceedings, you've got three years to do so from the date of the accident - or from the point you realised that you had a work-related illness. This is particularly important in the case of claims such as, for example, asbestos-related diseases, which can take years to show up.

The good news is that the number of workplace injuries has halved over the last 20 years, according to the HSE.

"Our systems and our framework remain strong, as demonstrated by our performance in comparison to other countries," says HSE chair Judith Hackitt.

In other words, health and safety gone sane.