Scottish 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:

SCO/228/09

Employers across Scotland 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 222 work related incidents occurred across Scotland each week, an annual total of 11,533 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 26 people were killed at work across Scotland while 2,735 sustained major injuries and a further 8,894 suffered injuries requiring more than three days absence. The figures compare with 31 fatalities, 2,822 major injuries and 9,156 cases of injuries requiring more than three days absence 2007/08.

Including other absences due to ill health caused by working activities, this equates to an estimated 3.1 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 work 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.

Dr Paul Stollard, HSE Director Scotland said:

"Behind these statistics are the real life stories of hundreds and thousands of people and families dealing 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 try and stop the same patterns being repeated.

"Slips, trips and falls from height are consistently the chief causes of death and serious injury.

"Many 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."

He added: "In Scotland, the industries with most deaths and injuries are agriculture, quarrying and construction.  HSE is determined to reduce this tragic toll.

"We are working closely with farmers and farming organisations such as NFU Scotland; and will be continuing our successful Make the Promise campaign, encouraging farmers and their families to make safety a priority.

"Earlier this year we strengthened our national team of quarry inspectors to ensure we can target this industry more effectively; and we continue to focus our inspection resources on the construction industry encouraging them to continue to drive up safety standards."

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.

Dr Stollard added: "We will continue to tackle these problems through our campaigns; with partners in Scotland's health and safety community; and by taking enforcement action whenever it is appropriate. We are working much more closely now with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service through its specialist Health and Safety Division and employers across Scotland should take note that fines per conviction were on average nearly £50,000 last year."

"Simple assessments of risk, ease of tasks, accessibility, protection from harmful substances and training can and do prevent many incidents.

"HSE works with a number of partners to provide free advice and education 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 Scotland a safer place to work.

"Every employee has the right to return home from work safely each day and I hope employers in Scotland 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 local authority are listed below:

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Issued on behalf of HSE by COI News and PR.