South Yorkshire 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:

YH/South/09

Employers across South Yorkshire need to work harder at keeping their workers safe in 2010, as Britain's safety watchdog urges improvement on last year.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), last year 65 work related incidents occurred across the region each week - an annual total of 3412 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 10 people were killed at work across South Yorkshire while 690 sustained major injuries and a further 2692 suffered injuries requiring more than three days absence. The figures compare with 3 fatalities, 765 major injuries and 2790 cases of injuries requiring more than three days absence in 2007/08.

Including other absences due to ill health caused by work activities, this contributes to an estimated 2.4 million working days lost across Yorkshire and the Humber as a whole 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 they will take enforcement action.

Last year HSE prosecuted 119 firms across Yorkshire and the Humber for breaching health and safety legislation and took action against hundreds more by issuing Prohibition and Improvement Notices.

David Snowball, HSE's Regional Director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said:

"Behind these statistics are the real life stories of people and families dealing with real hardship, pain and suffering.

"We should pause to reflect as a New Year arrives on the number of incidents in the past 12 months, and what we can do to stop the pattern repeating.

"Slips, trips and falls, handling accidents and incidents involving falling objects and moving machinery are consistently the chief causes of death and serious injury.

"Many of these injuries are entirely preventable. There are straightforward and sensible steps that businesses can take 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.

David added:

"Every employee has the right to return home from work safely, in one piece and without their health being harmed by their job. I hope all employers across South Yorkshire, and the region as a whole, would support that view and take steps to make it a reality."

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 Yorkshire local authority areas are listed below:

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