More needs to be done to improve protection for British workers

E056:06 09 May 2006

In a speech to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, minister for health and safety, today, insisted that Britain must make further improvements to its health and safety record.

Lord Hunt said, "Over the past 30 years we have achieved a great deal in improving health and safety standards but more still needs to be done. Last year more than 200 people were killed at work and over 350,000 injured. The cost to the economy is well over £10bn every year. This is largely as a result of poor health and safety management. Most of the deaths and serious injury are completely avoidable and often by simple inexpensive measures.

Every death and injury is a tragedy; the cost is felt highest by the family of those involved both economically and emotionally. Employers, regulators and safety professionals have a moral and legal duty to see that avoidable workplace incidents don't happen."

Lord Hunt stressed the importance of partnership working, and how the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is working closely with organisations such as RoSPA, the Institute of Directors (IoD) and Trades Union Congress (TUC) to ensure that workers are protected and to distance the real issue of health and safety from ridiculous stories that give the public an improper perception of health and safety.

Notes to editors

1. HSE's job is to help the Health and Safety Commission ensure that risks to people's health and safety from work activities are properly controlled.

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