C019:07                                                                                                           1 November 2007

HSC Chair highlights real health and safety issues affecting Britain’s workforce

New statistics published by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) today reveal the real risks faced by real people, every day of their working lives and the suffering that occurs when health and safety processes fail. Last year over 140,000 reported workplace accidents took place resulting in employees suffering injuries such as amputations, chemical burns and fractures.

Slamming critics who have repeatedly concentrated on ‘elf and safety’ stories and the regulator’s role, new Chair of HSC Judith Hackitt said, "Never mind banning conkers or Christmas decorations look at these figures, this is what real health and safety is all about."

Geoffrey Podger, Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said, "The statistics indicate that last year alone in Great Britain 2.2 million people suffered from work related illnesses and 241 people were killed at work. While workplace injuries have reduced, we lost 30 million working days due to ill-health. Last year HSE issued 20% more notices and industry was fined total of over £ 13 million for flaunting health and safety laws."

Responding to the newly released figures HSC Chair Judith Hackitt said, "Employers have a legal duty to protect their employees and visible leadership from the top of the organisation can truly influence the health and safety culture in our changing work environments. To make workplaces in 21st century Britain healthier and safer we all need to work together to do better.

We use a range of enforcement measures to tackle workplace ill-health and injuries and we do not hesitate to prosecute where necessary. The rising enforcement figures show that negligence in workplace health and safety is not tolerated. The figures also show that where we have intervened with all industry partners, together we have and can make a difference. We want to continue this. We must remember that with each injury or fatality there is a personal cost and suffering attached and we all therefore need to focus on the real health and safety agenda, not the trivia."

Interview bids for Judith Hackitt, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission must be directed to Ruchi Shah-Mehta on 07786 110351/ Denise Lewisohn on 07879 662026.

Notes to editors

1. The reporting of health and safety incidents at work is a statutory requirement, set out under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR). A reportable incident includes: a death or major injury; any accident which does not result in major injury, but the injured person still has to take four or more days off their normal work to recover; a work related disease; a member of the public being injured as a result of work related activity and taken to hospital for treatment; or a dangerous occurrence (which does not result in a serious injury, but could have done).
2. More information about HSE can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk
3. HSE publishes a full range of workplace health and safety statistics, these can be viewed at: hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm

Press enquiries

Newsdesk 0207 717 6700
Out of hours 020 928 8382

Public enquiries

HSE's InfoLine 0845 3450055
Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG