Clearview South December 2013 - Issue 145 | Page 12

INDUSTRYNEWS WORKPLACE MAJOR INJURIES HIT AN ALL TIME LOW FOR 2012/13 Figures published by the Health and Safety Executive show an 11 per cent drop in major injuries compared to 2011/12. The provisional statistics show that in Britain between April 2012 and March 2013: • 19,707 major injuries such as amputations, fractures and burns, to employees were reported (a rate of 78.5 injuries per 100,000 employees) – compared with 22,094 in 2011/12 (a rate of 88.5 per 100,000 employees) • 148 workers fatally injured – down from 171 the previous year. The average for the past five years was 181 worker deaths per year. • Workplace injuries and ill-health (excluding work related cancer) cost society an estimated £13.8 billion in 2010/11 compared with £16.3 billion in 2006/07 (both in 2011 prices). Chair of HSE, Judith Hackitt said: “This year’s figures demonstrate that Britain continues to improve its health and safety performance, with important falls in the number of workers fatally injured and the number of employees suffering major injuries. “But we still see too many deaths and injuries occur in the work place many of which could have been prevented through simple safety measures. Getting this right is the key to ensuring that everyone can make it home safely at the end of their working day. There has also been little change in the industries in which workers are most likely to be injured by their jobs, with construction (156.0 major injuries per 100,000 employees) among the higher risk sectors. The full statistics are available at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics DROP IN FATAL AND MAJOR INJURIES IN GB WORKPLACES WELCOMED The British Safety Council welcomed the improvements in Great Britain’s health and safety performance published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in its annual statistics report. HSE noted a significant reduction in the number of workers killed and seriously injured at work. The number and incidence of fatal injuries in Great Britain fell significantly as did the number and incidence of major injuries. Alex Botha, chief executive of the British Safety Council, while welcoming these improvements, noted that much more is needed to be done in order to achieve the British Safety Council’s vision that no one should be injured or killed in Britain’s workplaces. “While the number of people killed and seriously injured in Britain’s workplaces continues to fall year-on-year we echo the comments of HSE’s chair, Judith Hackitt, that many of these deaths and serious injuries could have been prevented by simple safety measures,” said Alex Botha. “While the number of deaths in British workplaces has halved over the last 20 years – 148 workers killed in 2012/13 compared to nearly 300 in 1993/94 – it remains a major concern that the agriculture, construction and waste re-cycling sectors together account for almost half of these unnecessary deaths. “We must not forget the tragic toll of work-related disease. HSE reports that around 13,000 deaths each year are attributable to work-related disease including occupational cancers – 40% in construction. We all have a role to play in ensuring risks \?B???\?H????Y??]?[?\?H[?B????X?K??'B???[?[??HX]\????[Y\??Y]??][?? ???H\??Y[????\?Y??H?\?Y?[?\?????X?[??X\??][??]?\? ????X]?\????Z?H[??H8?&?\???\??[?[?\??X?\??[\ZY??&B??]Y??K?]]?Y?[??HT?HX\??][???H????T?H?[\ZY??[[??\?B??Y?]]?H\??\[????[? [?\?[H?[?[??B??[[?H??YH??\????X]H]?]\???[[??[?Y??]\????\?HXY[??[?\?YYX\?H??Y\???Y]?H?YB?[\??[Y[?[?\??H[?\?[?Y\?Y8?'????[8?'H?[?[??H K?K?????\??[?\?\??]\???]?^X?[]H[??\??Y\????? K?B???\[?H[?XYH\??\??[???H? L ??YH[\??[Y[??\?\??]HX]?B??L???P? ? L???[[??Y?HX\??][?H?[X?[??H??[???[?]?H???X?]Y?H???[??[X[?????[?[??H???H?Y[??\?????Y?\?\?H??[??Y?[?[[??[\??????&\?X?[]H???\??Y]\?\????[Y\????[?]?\??]????HY???Y][?\??8?$??][?\?\???YK??^H???^H]\?[?8?&?[???\?\??&H?]\?\?[??YH\?X?[\X??]???? ??[?H?[X?KX[?Y?[??\??\?]???\?[Y?Y ?8?'?x?&\?HX\?Y??YH]?\?Y\??Y?B?x?&Y??Y[??\???[??&]?^K[?[?H?[??&]?[8?&H8?$?\??X???\?Y\?[?[\?[?[??[]?[??H???H?YH[\??[Y[?[?\??K??'B?????Y]??][????\ ???Z????XY[?K?\?]????X\??Y]?]Z???B??