GNN395/W/07 26 July 2007

HSE urges Welsh business to make health and safety their top priority as worker fatalities increase

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging business in Wales to put good health and safety practice at the top of their list of priorities as statistics show the provisional number of fatalities to workers in Wales in 2006/07 has increased slightly over the previous 12-month period.

The figures, released today by the Health and Safety Commission, show that in Wales, there were 14 fatalities reported to all enforcing authorities in 2006/07, compared with 12 in the previous year. The slight increase follows two consecutive decreases since 2003/4.The table at annex 1 provides a breakdown of incidents by sector and county in Wales.

In addition to worker fatalities, there were also eight fatalities amongst members of the public in Wales related to work activities, compared to five in the period 2005/06. The eight fatalities included five in the services sector and one each in the agriculture, construction and extraction/utility supply sectors.

HSE Director for Wales, Terry Rose, described the increase as disappointing, and said HSE still had a big job to do to as even one death was one too many.

"We need businesses and self employed people to work with us to help arrest this increase and make Wales a safer place to work.

"With the Royal Welsh Show going on at the moment, it is pertinent to note that there were four fatalities in the agriculture sector in 2006/07, a figure which has remained constant since last year, and HSE has been present at the Royal Welsh and other agriculture shows to provide guidance to farmers on good health and safety practice.

"There were also two more fatalities in the construction industry in 200607 compared to the previous period, an increase from three to five. Construction is an extremely hazardous industry to work in, and apart from enforcement, HSE works with a number of partners to provide free advice and education to those working in construction."

For Great Britain as a whole, there were 241 fatalities on 2006/07, compared with 217 for the 2005/06 period.

Nationally, falls from height remain the biggest cause of fatal injuries in 2006/07 with 45 deaths, followed by being struck by moving or falling object (40 deaths) and being struck by a moving vehicles (30 deaths).

Annex 1 - Fatal injuries in Wales

County	Agriculture	Construction	Manufacturing	Services	Total
Carmarthen	1	1	0	0	2
shire
Denbighshire	1	0	0	0	1
Powys	1	0	1	1	3
Bridgend	0	0	2	0	2
Caerphilly	0	0	0	1	1
Neath and Port	0	1	0	0	1
Talbot
Newport	0	1	0	1	2
Rhondda	0	0	1	0	1
Cynon, Taff
Torfaen	0	0	1	0	1
TOTAL	3	3	5	3	14

Notes to Editors

1. Terry Rose will be available for interview on Thursday 26th July. Please contact GNN Wales to arrange.
2. The statistics for Wales are also attached as a separate document.
3. 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).
4. European comparisons are compiled independently by Eurostat and relate to figures published in 2004.
5. More information about HSE can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk
6. HSE publishes a full range of workplace health and safety statistics, these can be viewed at: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm

Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by Government News Network Wales. For further information, please contact on 0844 800 6823 or out of hours 020 7928 8382.