Workers in larger companies are twice as likely to be injured at work compared to their counterparts in smaller companies.

New research from insurance giant Axa reveals that around a tenth of the workforce has been injured in the workplace over the past five years.

Companies with less than 250 employees had a better workplace injury record than their larger counterparts – 17 per cent of employees of smaller businesses had been injured in the workplace compared to 47 per cent in larger organisations.

And although 81 per cent of injuries were associated with using machinery or slips, trips and falls; eight per cent were due to assaults by customers or colleagues.

Surprisingly, the professional services industry, which includes lawyers, consultants and accountants, experienced the highest level of physical assault with as many as 15 per cent of employees working in the sector being assaulted by a customer.

Slips and trips were the commonest form of incident – accounting for a third of the total – with the most common injuries being strains or sprains (34 per cent).

The AXA study also found that employees aged over 50 are most likely to have a fall whilst doing their job (47 per cent) compared to 28 per cent of 18-29 year olds.

Nearly one in ten of injured UK employees complain of Repetitive Strain Inquiry (RSI) or other injuries caused by the working environment.

Douglas Barnett, risk control strategy manager, from AXA said: “These findings should make worrying reading for the business community.

“Accidents and injuries sustained in the workplace can be extremely costly for companies – through employees having to take time off work to recover or because of compensation pay outs.

“In light of this, we are advising businesses, of all shapes and sizes, to assess the potential risks and dangers that the working environment may pose to their employees and ensure that they have stringent health and safety procedures in place.”