Reports of non-fatal workplace accidents fell by 1.2 per cent in the first half of the year, figures released today show. 

The decline was recorded when the National Statistics Office compared figures to the same period last year. 

There was one fatal workplace accident during the first half of this year - a steep decline from the four reported in the same period of 2016.

Records show that 1,593 people reported a non-fatal accident in the first half of this year, with the majority (16.6 per cent) occurring in the manufacturing sector, followed by construction (15.2 per cent) and transport and storage (14.9 per cent) sectors. 

Most accidents were reported by people working in elementary occupations, followed by craft workers and others in related trades. 

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More than four out of every 10 accidents (43.8 per cent) affected the upper parts of workers' bodies, such as their hands and fingers. Most accidents involved wounds and superficial injuries, with dislocations, sprains and strains also commonly reported. 

Just over one in every four workplace accidents happened at businesses with more than 500 employees. 

Data on non-fatal accidents was provided by the Department of Social Security, while that on fatal accidents comes from the Occupational Health and Safety Authority.