26.07.2007

Fatal work-related injuries on the rise

The latest work-related fatal injury statistics for 2006/7 released today show an increase of 11 percent. A total of 241 lives were lost - up from 217 in 2005/6.

Sir Bill Callaghan, chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) said the loss of 241 lives is unacceptable and issued a fresh challenge to industry to place safety at the top of its priorities and do more to protect the work force.

Construction had a total of 77 fatal injuries almost one third of all fatal injuries to workers. HSE’s internal monitoring systems had signaled an increase in fatalities in construction and this has led to plans to address the areas of concern. The HSE today confirmed continuing focus on its inspection programme targeting the refurbishment and repair sectors as these sectors in particular have seen an increase in fatal injuries.

Sir Bill said: “It is disappointing to see that the overall number of deaths has risen. We have worked hard with industry and trade unions over the past few years to bring the number down. Behind every one of these numbers was a man or a woman, with a life, friends and family. Despite all the negative stories written and told about over-bureaucracy and banning ‘fun’, in reality trying to stop the tragedies we are talking about today is what health and safety is all about.”

The latest statistics presented today corresponds to a rate of fatal injury of 0.80 per 100 000 workers. In 2005/06 this rate was 0.72 - the lowest annual figures on record.

This year's figures indicate an overall increase of 11 percent since the last year. Although a long-term downward trend is still clear, the rate of decrease has slowed over the last 15 years and there has been very little change in the overall rate over the last five years.


HSE Chief Executive Geoffrey Podger added to this message saying, “Those who are putting the lives of their workforce at risk should know that HSE takes this very seriously. In the past year we have approved 25 percent more prosecutions than the year before and our inspectors have served 1000 more enforcement notices. No one should believe that they can get away with serious breaches of health and safety.”

At the end of today's briefing, Sir Bill reiterated his message, “I have to remind you that safety is ultimately the responsibility of those who manage and direct companies and those who work for them. Today’s statistics are disappointing and distressing but improvements can still be made. They must be made. HSC/E is taking action. The ball now lies firmly in the industry’s court.”

In many areas there have been some real improvements compared with statistics from last year, and despite the figures announced today, the long term fatal-injury trends are still downward. However, the real challenge for HSE and the industry now is to move on from the plateau of the last five years, and to renew our efforts and revive the major gains made in previous years.

Health and Safety Commissioner Danny Carrigan said: "Construction remains an undeniably dangerous industry and, all too often, it demonstrates the unacceptable human cost of getting things wrong. I am disappointed that the earlier improvements in construction health and safety have not been sustained and, instead, there has been a significant increase in worker fatalities in the housing and refurbishment / repair sectors, particularly in the domestic market. I am also concerned about the continued high level of construction worker fatalities on smaller sites and involving small businesses."