North East employers asked to make New Year safety resolution

New figures show extent of workplace safety failings in local area

Date:

29 December 2009

Release No:

NE/462/09

Employers across the North East are being asked to ensure their workers are kept safe in 2010 as Britain's safety watchdog urges improvement on last year.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), last year almost 122 work related incidents occurred across the North East each week, an annual a total of 6,318 people being killed or injured.

HSE hope this figure will act a stark reminder to employers and staff to make their workplaces safer this New Year and drive down casualty rates.

The 2008/09 statistics show nine people were killed at work across the region while 1,390 sustained major injuries and a further 4,975 suffered injuries requiring more than three days absence. The figures compare with seven fatalities, 1,341 major injuries and 5,052 cases of injuries requiring more than three days absence in 2007/08.

Including other absences due to ill health caused by work activities, this equates to an estimated 1.9 million working days lost at a massive cost to the economy and individual businesses, which is why HSE says it makes perfect sense to make working environments safe.

The organisation warns that if employers insist on compromising the health of their employees then it will not hesitate in taking enforcement action.

Last year HSE prosecuted 45 firms for breaching health and safety legislation and took action against hundreds more by issuing Prohibition and Improvement Notices.

Pam Waldron, HSE's North East Head of Operations, said:

"Behind these statistics are the real life stories of thousands of workers suffering injuries and ill health. Together with their families, they have to deal with real hardship, pain and suffering.

"The New Year is an opportune time to reflect on the number of incidents in the past 12 months, and to take positive action to improve conditions in workplaces.

"The main causes of fatal accidents nationally remain falls from height and from workplace transport, with the highest numbers being found in the construction and agriculture sectors. For other injuries, slips and trips and incidents affecting the back and upper limbs are the most common cause.

"Most of these injuries are entirely preventable. We implore businesses to take practical action to manage the risks people face in their day-to-day work."

Britain boasts one of the best health and safety records in Europe but with 180 workplace deaths nationally last year, HSE say there is still much to be done.

Mrs Waldron added:

"Simple measures including the assessment of workplace risks to identify improvements and providing training and instruction to workers can and do prevent many incidents. Involving the workforce in this process has been shown to have significant success,

"HSE works with a number of partners to provide free advice and guidance to those both carrying out and managing work. We want businesses and the self-employed to work with us to help reduce injuries and make the North East a safer and healthier place to work.

"Every employee has the right to return home from work safely and without their health affected and I hope all employers in the North East share that view and take steps to ensure that is the case."

Notes to editors

1. HSE is Britain's national regulator for workplace safety and health. It aims to reduce injuries and illness in the workplace.
2. The figures relate to the financial year 2008/2009.
3. The statistics broken down by the North East and former local authority areas are listed below:

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