Britain’s safety watchdog is marking its 40th anniversary with an appeal for businesses to make the wellbeing of workers their top priority for the new financial year.
Nationally, across Great Britain, there were 133 deaths at work in 2013/14, more than 79,500 injuries were formally reported and over 1.1 million people are estimated to have been made ill.
Areas of particular concern include falls from height; work on machinery that is poorly maintained and guarded; and failing to properly manage workplace transport.
The HSE was formally established in January 1975 to enforce the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 – the statute that underpins all health and safety legislation, and that is credited with making the UK one of the safest places to work in the world.
In 1974/75 a total of 651 employees alone were killed, and that is without including self-employed workers whose deaths were not recorded in the same way.
The latest figures show that those involved in construction, manufacturing and waste and recycling are most at risk today, with agriculture another industry where sustained improvement is needed. Employers are being urged to review whether they can do more to protect their workforce.
Information on tackling health and safety dangers in workplaces is available on HSE’s website at www.hse.gov.uk.
Comments