Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Press releases
YH/380/07 31 August 2007
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is targeting the high concentration of print specialists in the Yorkshire and Humber region, with an intensive inspection campaign starting next month in Leeds, Wakefield and York.
Nationally there are around 1200 accidents in the printing industry each year, 200 of which result in major injuries like fractures and amputations. Letters are going out now to more than 120 of the region's small printing firms to put them on alert.
Print workers are exposed to a range of hazards during their work, ranging from machinery to chemicals. From the beginning of September HSE inspectors will be focusing their attention on some of the most common causes of accidents and ill health in the industry - manual handling, slips and trips, contact with machinery and dermatitis.
HSE Principal Inspector Keith King, who is leading the inspection campaign, says:
"The printing industry is one of the UK's largest and HSE has been working closely with it in recent years, with some success, to help reduce its record of work-related injuries and ill health. Next month we will be targeting West and North Yorkshire to make sure the necessary high standards are being met.
"This may not sound like a high risk industry but it does rely on the use of hazardous chemicals and complex machinery which, if safety is not kept to the forefront, can put workers at risk of injury or ill health.
"Precautions are often simple to implement so HSE will continue to work at implementing good health and safety practice whilst, via initiatives like this and will take enforcement action against those that fail to meet their legal responsibilities to provide healthy and safe work places."
Health and safety is an important issue for the print industry, which in Yorkshire and Humber is a major national player. Highly competitive, it makes a substantial £1.35 billion annual contribution to the region's economy and provides direct employment for nearly 20,000 people.
Keith King from the HSE is available for interview, call Elizabeth Ogborn at GNN on 0113 341 3173 to arrange.
HSE InfoLine, Tel: 0845 345 0055, visit: www.hse.gov.uk/contact or write to: HSE InfoLine, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.
HSE information and news releases can be accessed on the Internet www.hse.gov.uk
Issued on behalf of the HSE by GNN Yorkshire and the Humber. Media enquiries to: Elizabeth Ogborn on 0113 341 3173